NAME RELEASED OF PERSON FOUND IN BUTLER COUNTY Updating a story we brought to you yesterday, additional information has been released about the investigation started after a person was found over the weekend in a Butler County ditch.
We spoke with Chief Deputy Wess Popp with the Butler County Sheriff’s Department about the incident:
“On Saturday afternoon at about 4 o'clock p.m. dispatch received 9-1-1 call of a white male that was found roadside on County Road 606 in Butler County and that he was unresponsive and needing EMS. EMS and Butler County deputies were dispatched to that area along with Poplar Bluff City. Upon arrival an unidentified white male was unresponsive and CPR was immediately started until EMS arrived.
Once EMS arrived they took over CPR and the individual was transported to Poplar Bluff Regional Medical Center to their trauma unit. At this point the male was unidentified. He was only found in a shirt, pants, and socks. With limited information as far as the reason for him being there and who he was, a call was placed to DDCC and also Poplar Bluff City Police Department to assist us in following leads for friends and family and to get him identified.
During the course of the investigation at approximately 6:35 pm, I was notified that Mr. Sutherland had succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased. Through the course of the investigation, one of the leads was that maybe he might have drove into the Black River and possibly there might be another one inside. It went from that to possible he was assaulted and left roadside. With all these factors we went ahead and called for help, DDCC arrived along with Poplar Bluff City Police Department and the Butler County deputies.
We asked for water Patrol to come out to see if there was a vehicle in the water while other investigators attempted to discover the individual's identity. The individual was identified as 34-year old Joshua Ray Sutherland from Arkansas. We were able to find out where his family was who his friends were and where he lived at here in Poplar Bluff. During the course of Investigation Water Patrol was out they found a backpack and a coat that was up on the bank of the river.
What it appeared was he had been in the water, he had pulled his jacket off because the jacket was inside out and the backpack had miscellaneous stuff in it including some mail with his name on it. Once we're sure there was not a vehicle in the water we attempted to look for any other evidence but it was too dark. We went ahead and stopped for the evening, that was at approximately midnight, to return in the morning so that we would have daylight to be able to see anything that could have possibly been missed at night. We returned in the morning we were able to find a place where he actually walked in from the county road to the River.
Family said he did not have a vehicle and where he lived was not that far of a walk to get there. We found his single track of boot prints which were his leading down to the river and we followed that along the riverbank and we kept following the prints along the waterline until it looks like that's where he fell into the water which was approximately about 20-25 feet from where the backpack was found.
Mr. Sutherland was sent to Farmington for an autopsy which the pathologist confirmed as accidental death due as a cause of hypothermia. Once again, a case like this even if it's accidental this goes to show the close bonds that we have both with the city and with the highway patrol that we were able to come together and solve this in a very short amount of time.
We've been so successful are so lucky here in this area of the bootheel that all of us can come together and solve what needs to be done. Take care of business and move on.”
TEENAGER KILLED IN RIPLEY COUNTY WRECK A Doniphan teenager has died following a single vehicle wreck in Ripley County.
Officials with the Missouri State Highway Patrol tell KWOC News that 17 year old Zachary Brittain was driving on Missouri Highway 142 Monday morning when his vehicle ran off the side of the road and struck a tree.
Brittain was pronounced dead at the scene by Ripley County Coroner Mike Jackson.
INVESTIGATION ONGOING IN CONNECTION TO PEMISCOT COUNTY SHOOTING An investigation is underway following a shooting Monday in Southeast Missouri.
According to authorities, the shooting occurred Monday morning at a business in Pemiscot County. A man had been shot in the head by his cousin. The incident is being described as self defense.
The victim was injured and taken to a Memphis hospital. The name of the victim has not been released.
POPLAR BLUFF WOMAN FACING FELONY METH CHARGE OUT OF WAYNE COUNTY A Poplar Bluff woman is facing a felony meth charge following her arrest over the weekend in Wayne County.
According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, 34 year old Christina King was arrested shortly after 10 am Saturday on a felony charge of possession of a controlled substance - methamphetamine.
King is also facing a charge of unlawful possession of drug paraphernalia.
BRIDGE MAINTENANCE SCHEDULED FOR TODAY IN NEW MADRID COUNTY Crews with the Missouri Department of Transportation will be in New Madrid County today for bridge maintenance.
According to MoDot, Route 62 in New Madrid County will be reduced to one lane for the maintenance.
The bridges involved are located over drain ditches between County Roads 521 and 335.
Work is scheduled to be performed today from 8 am to 3 pm.
