By Staff
BUCHANAN - On Tuesday, June 28, at approximately 3:45 p.m., an Indiana and Michigan Power employee was working at the Buchanan Dam on the St. Joseph River in Buchanan Township and noticed what appeared to be a human body floating in the water on the upper side of the dam.
He notified authorities of his observation.
Officers from the Buchanan City Police Department arrived at the scene a short time later to confirm the employee's sighting.
The body was floating along a skimmer wall on the east side of the St. Joseph River.
Officers could determine that the body was that of a female, who appeared to have been in the water for an extended amount of time.
The confirmed identity of the female found will take some time to determine due to the deteriorated state of the body.
Dental records and DNA will have to be used in identification.
The Buchanan Police Department would like to stress that they cannot at this time confirm this is the body of Marquette Bowen, a female who has been missing since Dec. 15, 2004 from the city of Buchanan.
The female's body was removed from the river by the Buchanan Township Fire Department Water Rescue Team and the Berrien County Marine Unit.
Buchanan City Police Officer Dave Capron will be working with the Sheriffs Department detectives to determine the body's identity.
At press time Buchanan City Police Chief William Marx and Officer Dave Capron were unavailable for comment as they were at the autopsy.