Body found in West Point Lake; foul play not suspected

Published 12:00 am Friday, July 3, 2015

LaGRANGE — A Troup County resident called 911 Thursday after he discovered a body in West Point Lake near Waterview Drive, north of LaGrange.

Authorities have not identified the man pending notification of next of kin. The man was a white male in his 50s, and authorities believe they know who he is, but are still trying to contact family members, said Sgt. Stewart Smith, a spokesperson for the Troup County Sheriff’s Office.

No foul play is suspected in the man’s death, Smith said, but the body has been sent to the state medical examiner’s office in the Atlanta area for an autopsy. The cause of death is yet to be determined.

The man, who was found fully clothed, may have been in the water for three to four days, Smith said. A more concrete time of death will be determined by the autopsy, he added.

Smith was unsure when the autopsy would be conducted, but said the holiday weekend and other pending cases at the medical examiner’s office would play a factor in the time frame.

No one filed a missing person’s report about the man prior to the discovery of his body, Smith said.

The resident who reported the body found it about 7 p.m., Smith said. The body was retrieved about an hour later and then taken to the medical examiner’s office.

The Troup County Sheriff’s Office, Troup County Fire Department and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources all responded to the scene.

No further information was available at press time.