ELSBERRY, Mo. – The family of a Pike County, Missouri, man who went missing nearly four years ago received word last week that his remains had been discovered and identified.
On the afternoon of April 24, a field hand working south of Elsberry contacted the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office after discovering partial human remains.
Authorities brought the remains to the Lincoln County Coroner’s Office for forensic analysis. Meanwhile, a K9 unit and drone were used to search the area for addition remains, to no avail.
On April 26, a forensic odontologist successfully identified the remains belonging to Timothy Padfield.
Padfield was reported missing on May 31, 2019, by his wife.
At the time, Mrs. Padfield told the sheriff’s office she last spoke with Timothy the day before around 5 p.m. He’d attempted to retrieve items from their home in Annada, which had been rendered inaccessible due to flooding.
During the call, Timothy told his wife the water had been up to his neck when he approached their house. He said he was going to spend the night at their home because he wasn’t feeling well.
After filing the missing person report, Mrs. Padfield went to the home to search for Timothy. She contacted the Elsberry fire chief and said she found mud in the home and in the bed where Timothy had been sleeping.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol’s Water Patrol then searched the area with no luck.
The Lincoln County Coroner’s Office did not mention a cause of death for Timothy Padfield.