The man recovered from the Wabash River at Terre Haute on Monday has been identified as Marquise Norris, 22, of Indianapolis, Indiana. Family members have been located and notified.
Preliminary autopsy results issued by Forensic Pathologist Dr. Roland Korh of Terre Haute Regional Hospital indicate the cause of death is consistent with drowning.
Indiana Conservation Officers responded to a call about a man struggling in the water near Fairbanks Park.
The incident took place around 2:15 p.m. yesterday afternoon when witnesses reported a man struggling in the Wabash River before disappearing under the water. Indiana Conservation Officers used sonar technology to locate and recover the body of a male victim.
Based on the clothing description of the victim in witness accounts conflicting with that worn by the recovered victim and a review sonar data, Indiana Conservation Officers initially believed there was a possibility of a second individual in the water and extended their search area. No other victims were located. The search area extension located the belongings of the original victim along the shoreline and a nearby campsite on city property containing possible evidence of a violent crime scene. Terre Haute City Police Department detectives were contacted to investigate the campsite, which was determined to not be related to the water recovery.
Indiana Conservation Officers are currently investigating the incident, and an autopsy is being completed this morning. The identity of the victim is being withheld until relatives can be located and notified.
Sugar Creek Fire Department and Terre Haute City Fire Department both assisted at the scene.