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Body Found In Missouri, Thought To Be Fred Byrne A Missing Man From Big Rapids

Posted at 5:42 PM, Jun 24, 2013
and last updated 2013-06-24 17:42:25-04

BIG RAPIDS, Mich. – A body has been found in Missouri close to the spot where a missing man from Big Rapid’s car was discovered on February 13th parked just outside the Mark Twain National Forest.  It’s a story FOX 17 has been covered for months, since Fred Byrne first disappeared on February 12th.

The Byrne family said the 49-year-old husband and father was heading to the Rivertown Crossing Mall in Grandville, but never arrived and never returned home.

In the five months since he went missing, nearly 2000 people have followed the progress through Facebook.

On Monday, June 24th, the Byrne family used the ‘Find Fred Byrne’ page to notify people that a body has been found.  As of Monday afternoon they were still waiting for official confirmation of the body.

The Carter County Sheriff’s Department, in Van Buren, Missouri, said area search and rescue K9 teams were conducting a training exercise when a search dog found human remains.

According to the family of Fred Byrne, the body was found not far from the spot where Fred’s car was located in the National Forest.  Police say his wallet and keys were still inside the car.

The Byrne family’s Facebook message states that a detective with the Big Rapids Police Department is with the Byrne family awaiting the results of an autopsy, to determine if the remains are in fact Fred Byrne.