Body found near Tindall Bridge in Fremont

FREMONT - A body of a man was found in an area near the Tindall Bridge in Fremont on Friday under circumstances law enforcement described as “suspicious.”

The Fremont Police, Sandusky County Sheriff’s Office and Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation are investigating the matter, according to Fremont Police Chief Dean Bliss.

The identity of the individual found dead has not yet been determined, officials said on Sunday. They confirmed that the victim was a black male.

According to Sandusky County Sheriff Chris Hilton, the sheriff’s office received a call around 6 p.m. Wednesday reporting that a wallet had been found near Buchanan and McGormley Road. The wallet and other personal items belonged to Eric Edwards Jr., of Fremont.

On Thursday, July 4, Fremont Police posted on Facebook a request for the public’s help to locate Edwards Jr., after his family reported him missing and were concerned for his welfare. Edwards was last seen on Tuesday, July 2, according to the report.

Then around 8 p.m. Friday, the body of an unidentified deceased black male was located near the Tindall Bridge on Darr Road, according to Hilton.

Both Bliss and Hilton said investigators are not making any official determinations that the body found Friday was that of Edwards.

Bliss told the News-Messenger on Saturday that details regarding the circumstances of when, where and how the body was initially found and reported to police were not yet available, but that the matter is under investigation with those three agencies working together.

“The police department, sheriff’s office and BCI are working hand-in-hand to try to figure out what we can at this point,” Bliss said. “If there’s ever a body found near the river, it’s going to be suspicious, but we’re looking to try to determine what’s going on with that.”

Bliss said the body was taken to the Lucas County Coroner’s Office to determine a cause of death and identify who the person was.

Regarding the investigation into the body found Friday, Bliss said anyone with information potentially related to the case is asked to call the Fremont Police Department or Sandusky County Sheriff’s Office at 419-332-6464.

jstinchcom@gannett.com

419-680-4897

Twitter: @JonDBN