Man vanished while driving home, Ohio cops say. Now his body is found near trail
The remains of a 25-year-old Ohio man who went missing in January during a trip home have been found, ending a month-long search, officials told news outlets.
James Beardsley was reported missing Jan. 8, Ashland Source reported. He left a home in Columbus on Jan. 5 to travel back to his home in Polk, but he never arrived, according to a Jan. 10 Facebook post from the Columbus Division of Police.
His vehicle was later found parked outside Der Dutchman restaurant in Bellville, according to police.
Authorities at the time asked the public for any information about Beardsley’s location.
His body was found the morning of Sunday, Feb. 2, by a Lexington resident walking a dog near the Richland B&O Trail, WMFD reported. The dog left the trail and found the body, according to Ashland Source.
Richland County Coroner’s Office investigator Tom Stortz said the body looked like it was there “for some time.“ He also said it was “frozen solid,” which prevented the coroner’s office from identifying him right away, according to WMFD.
Stortz said Beardsley was found lying on his back wearing a hooded sweatshirt, gloves and tennis shoes appropriate for the cold weather, the outlet reported.
Stortz said the Montgomery County Medical Examiner’s Office used dental records to identify the body, according to Mansfield News Journal. Beardsley’s next of kin has been notified.
The Mansfield News Journal reported that authorities believed the body was Beardsley when it was found earlier this month. The Montgomery County Coroner’s Office, the same office that identified his body, will complete an autopsy, which could take six to eight weeks, according to Ashland Source.
This story was originally published February 13, 2025 at 2:00 AM with the headline "Man vanished while driving home, Ohio cops say. Now his body is found near trail."
