Authorities have identified the man whose body was found Saturday afternoon in Little River near the Marietta Drive bridge.
He is Chadwick Gilliland, 37, of North Main Street, LaFayette, said Christian County Coroner Scott Daniel.
It’s unclear how Gilliland got into the river, but he did not have any wounds and officials do not suspect foul play, said Daniel.
“We don’t know why he was around the river,” he said. It’s also unclear where Gilliland went into the river and how far the body traveled in the current.
A kayaker found the body.
A member of Gilliland’s family called authorities after Daniel asked for the public’s help to identify the man. They said they had last seen him April 14 at the Kangaroo Express convenience store on LaFayette Road. The coroner’s office reviewed a video tape from that date at the store and was able to confirm Gilliland had been there.
The clothes he was wearing that day matched the clothing on the body found in the river. Also, dental records were used to confirm his identity, said Daniel.
Maddux-Fuqua-Hinton Funeral Home is handling arrangements for Gilliland.
(Jennifer P. Brown is the editor and founder of Hoptown Chronicle. Reach her at editor@hoptownchronicle.org.)
Jennifer P. Brown is co-founder, publisher and editor of Hoptown Chronicle. You can reach her at editor@hoptownchronicle.org. Brown was a reporter and editor at the Kentucky New Era, where she worked for 30 years. She is a co-chair of the national advisory board to the Institute for Rural Journalism and Community Issues, governing board past president for the Kentucky Historical Society, and co-founder of the Kentucky Open Government Coalition. She serves on the Hopkinsville History Foundation's board.
