A Carroll County man who had been missing since early January was found dead Monday in a wooded area less than a mile from his home.
The body of 69-year-old Travis Charles Belew was discovered on March 31 in a wooded area off Autumn Road in Union Township, near the Leesville Lake area. Authorities say Belew was found in an indentation in the ground where a tree had uprooted.
The Carroll County Sheriff’s Office said no signs of foul play were observed at the scene, but an autopsy has been ordered to determine the exact cause of death.
Belew was first reported missing on Jan. 9 after he was last seen walking near his residence. Family members previously shared concerns that he may have been in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease, which may have impacted his ability to find his way home.
Search efforts had been ongoing since his disappearance, with law enforcement and community members working together to try to locate him.
The sheriff’s office has not released further details, and the investigation remains ongoing pending autopsy results.
(Jordan Miller is also the Editor of the Carrollton Free Press Standard. This story will appear in the April 11 issue of the FPS)
