Body Presumed to Be Missing Tuscaloosa County Man Recovered from Hurricane Creek
A man's body has been recovered from Hurricane Creek in Tuscaloosa County Tuesday, likely a Cottondale man who has been missing for the last week.
Captain Jack Kennedy, the commander of the Tuscaloosa Violent Crimes Unit, told local media Tuesday night that the Tuscaloosa County Sheriff's Office has been searching for Steven Cieroke since he was reported missing, as the Thread reported last Monday.
Cieroke left home to walk in a wooded area, which family members say he commonly did, but did not return home.
A family search soon grew to involve volunteers and local law enforcement, and Kennedy said TCSO deployed deputies on foot, used drones, searched from helicopters and sent K-9 units.
On Tuesday afternoon, a body was found in the same general area from which he was missing and recovered from Hurricane Creek, Kennedy said.
The VCU, which investigates almost all deaths outside a hospital setting in Tuscaloosa County, is handling the case, and Kennedy said they presume the person found Tuesday is Cieroke, but identification and cause of death will have to be confirmed by the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences in Montgomery.
The VCU's involvement does not necessarily indicate suspicion of foul play.
For updates on this case as they become available, stay connected to the Tuscaloosa Thread,
Top Stories from the Tuscaloosa Thread (2/26 - 3/4)
Gallery Credit: (Stephen Dethrage | Tuscaloosa Thread)
More From Tuscaloosa Thread
