Kumar’s body pulled from river: Autopsy to determine cause of death
|
“We’re pretty sure the body that was found Sunday is that of Dr. Kumar,” said Sheriff Jackie Matheny, noting the body has been sent for autopsy. While authorities here didn’t positively confirm the body as Kumar’s, his obituary appeared in yesterday’s Tennessean.
Matheny said lawmen have no reason to suspect foul play and it is believed Kumar died as result of suicide.
Dr. Kodehalli Prasannakumar had been missing since the morning of Jan. 14. A friend told lawmen he had threatened suicide before walking toward the river behind his residence on Collins River Drive, marking the last time he was reportedly seen alive.
When officers arrived, they found one set of footprints leading to the river, but no footprints leading away. A single shoe was found on the dock behind Kumar’s house. The body found Sunday was missing a shoe. Search crews also found a sweater in the water shortly into dragging operations. The body found Sunday was shirtless.
Extensive dragging operations by the Warren County Rescue Squad failed to find a body. Search crews said the water temperature was around 32 degrees and could cause hypothermia almost immediately.
According to Matheny, Kumar’s body was found on the White County side of the river, between Rock Island Bridge and Great Falls Dam, several miles down from where he disappeared. Kumar’s body had actually floated past the meeting of the Collins and Caney Fork rivers where they meet near Rock Island.
“The water was so rapid that day, he must have swept down really quick explaining why he couldn’t be found,” Matheny said. “Of course, I’m still surprised he didn’t surface earlier or that someone hadn’t seen his body until now.”
Matheny said the fact Kumar could not be found had prompted lawmen to look in other areas along with following up on the drowning scenario.
“We had also looked in other areas just to be sure, looking at the foul play possibility and other things,” Matheny said. “But, we developed no credible information and most of it we’re following up on reports here and there from folks who thought they saw him places.”
Commenting on the fact it took more than two months for Kumar’s body to surface, Matheny theorized the body may have been caught on rocks under water. As for now, lawmen expect the cause of death to be either drowning or hypothermia. A final determination will be made after the autopsy.