Missing Man’s Body Found after Fire

MARSHALL — Harrison County officials say a missing man’s body has been found after a fire. According to KETK, the Sheriff’s Office received a call lat Saturday about a missing person, Forrest Weeks, 59, at the end of Baker Bridge Rd., close to the Harrison County-Marion County boundary.

When a deputy arrived, it was determined that the missing Weeks may have walked into a wooded and heavily brushy area and had not been seen again. Deputies, assisted by deputies on horseback and on foot, and four-wheelers, tried to follow a trail. However, they were unsuccessful in finding him by nightfall.

When the deputies returned to the area on Sunday morning, the search crews consisted of 2 tracking dogs, Department of Public Safety helicopter unit, Texas Game Wardens, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Law Enforcement officials. A search was commenced within the approximately 600 acre area of heavy brush and woods. The search crews worked for approximately 8 hours and did not find the missing person. On Monday, approximately 15-20 cadets from the Alert Academy in Big Sandy and the other search crews returned to the area, but were unsuccessful in locating the missing person.

During the morning, Harrison County dispatchers received calls of a fire that had begun in the area of Lee Island Rd. close to the area of the search boundaries. Fire crews were dispatched and the assistance of the U.S. Forest Service was requested to cut fire lines around the area in an attempt to contain the fire. On Tuesday, as the fire crew was continuing to perform the bulldozing of the area, an operator of a bulldozer noticed what he believed to be a body inside the fire line. He called for assistance and the body of the missing person was found in the area of the fire. Judge Nancy George was notified and she pronounced the victim, Forrest Weeks, to be deceased. An autopsy has been ordered by Judge George.