Police identify body found in river

Published 11:20 pm Wednesday, August 8, 2012

A body was found in the Alabama River Monday, just yards from the Edmund Pettus Bridge. Wednesday, the Selma Police Department learned the identity of the body they discovered.

Authorities confirmed the body found was that of Selma resident, 47-year-old Dan Louis Jones.

When the police department, along with the Selma-Dallas County Rescue Team, retrieved the body, they did discover Jones’ identification, but waited until Wednesday to release his name following confirmation from the state forensics lab.

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“We were doing the investigation and a wallet was located on the individual’s person, and we found out the wallet did belong to a Dan Louis Jones,” Selma Chief of Police William T. Riley said. “Of course the family was notified and we were able to confirm that was him.”

Riley said after the autopsy was conducted the medical examiner found the cause of death to be accidental, and most likely drowning. Riley said no foul play is suspected in the case.

“As far as we know now, he is known to fish,” Riley said of Jones. “He could have been down there fishing or something and from what we gather there was no foul play.”

Riley said Jones’ body was in the river for no more than 24 hours.

“Our role was to make sure there was no foul play involved,” Riley said. “Our hearts go out to the family for their loss.”

Two juveniles were fishing on the Selmont side of the river when they discovered the body stuck in a tree branch Monday morning. The two told an adult nearby fishing, who then notified the authorities about the body.