Authorities Identify Body Pulled from Missouri River

Atchison police say a body recovered from the Missouri River during the weekend was that of a 53-year-old St. Joseph man.

Atchison Police Chief Mike Wilson said in a news release Wednesday Donald Spradling’s body was found in the river Sunday near Atchison.

The St. Joseph News-Press reports Spradling had lived in St. Joseph for two years and had recently been living at a campsite along the river. Wilson said Spradling also frequented an emergency shelter in St. Joseph.

The chief said acquaintances said they last saw Spradling last week near his campsite.

A pathologist has ruled the preliminary cause of death as drowning.