Woman’s body found in Mississippi River
The body of a deceased woman found floating Sunday afternoon in the Mississippi River has been identified.
Emergency personnel responded about 2 p.m. to the river near Columbia after a Missouri man observed a body floating in the water while fishing from his boat.
The Columbia Fire Department launched a rescue vessel from Luhr’s Landing to meet the fisherman on the river a few miles south of the Jefferson Barracks Bridge. The deceased body was secured by about 2:50 p.m.
Other agencies responding to the incident included Columbia EMS, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Department, Illinois State Police Crime Scene Services and Monroe County Coroner’s Office.
Monroe County Coroner Bob Hill identified the deceased as 82-year-old Mandy Rubenstein of Chesterfield, Mo.
“An autopsy was conducted on Sunday evening and a positive identification was made using dental records,” Hill told the Republic-Times on Monday.
The coroner added that his office was assisted in helping identify the female by the St. Charles (Mo.) City Police Department, Missouri Highway Patrol and St. Louis County Medical Examiner’s Office.
Hill also volunteered to the Republic-Times that during the early afternoon of July 27, St. Charles police and the Missouri Highway Patrol “received several calls of an elderly female driving the wrong way in a construction zone on the Daniel Boone Bridge, parking her car on the bridge, removing her shoes and jumping over the railing of the bridge deck.”
An unsuccessful search was conducted for numerous hours immediately following that report, Hill added.
The Monroe County Coroner’s Office, ISP Crime Scene Unit and MCSD continue to investigate Sunday’s incident.
The fisherman who discovered the body was Gary Vinyard of Crystal City, Mo.
“Twenty-plus years and countless hours on the river. First time I’ve seen a body out there,” Vinyard told the Republic-Times via Facebook.
If you are in crisis, please call, text or chat with the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988 or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting “TALK” to 741741.
