The body of a man found at approximately 10 p.m. Sunday in the area of Brophy and Botsford roads in Oceola Township is suspected to be that of Jerry Spaulding, 85, who left his home in the 3000 block of Argentine Road, north of Brophy Road on foot on Saturday, July 5, and never returned.
Spaulding was an avid walker and experienced hiker known to cover long, multi-mile distances, and who hiked the Grand Canyon multiple times.
According to a release from the Livingston County Sheriff’s Office, the body was found in a knee-deep mud hole in a heavily wooded, marshy area near Neff Lake. Due to the condition of the body, a positive identification could not be completed. There were no visible signs of struggle or confrontation, and the body was transported to the University of Michigan Sparrow Hospital in Lansing for a medical examination.
The Livingston County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the Howell Area Fire Department and the Medical Examiner’s Office.
The Sheriff’s Office had been searching for Spaulding since he disappeared, and had previously been assisted by teams from the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office Search, Michigan Independent Search and Rescue, and the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office Aviation Unit, and ATVs, drones, manned aircraft and canines were used in the search.
The incident remains under investigation until identification and cause of death is determined.
