Body pulled from river identified

Officials have identified the body of a deceased male recovered from the Mississippi River in rural Columbia early Wednesday morning as that of a Peru, Illinois man who jumped from the Jefferson Barracks Bridge late last month.

The Columbia Fire Department, Monroe County’s Sheriff’s Department, Monroe County Coroner’s Office and an Illinois State Police crime scene unit were dispatched to a loading dock at Luhr’s Landing just south of the Jefferson Barracks Bridge on I-255 about 6:30 a.m. The Waterloo Fire Department stood by at Columbia’s fire station as firefighters worked to pull the body from the river.

Luhr Brothers was helpful in the recovery process, fire officials said, providing the use of one of its cranes.

Monroe County Coroner Bob Hill said Friday that the man was identified as 27-year-old Ryan Sheedy. Identification was made using dental records, Hill said.

“Sheedy was observed jumping off the Jefferson Barracks bridge deck on Aug. 24,” Hill stated in a news release.

The cause of death is still pending further investigation by the coroner’s office.

At about 3 p.m. Aug. 24, the Mehlville (Mo.) Fire Department requested Columbia Fire Department personnel to assist in a search for a man who jumped from the J.B. Bridge into the river. The search was called off after the subject was not located.

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