Authorities probe fire, discovery of body in Marion County

Thursday, April 19, 2012

Arkansas-Ole Miss Live Blog

Local and state authorities are looking into the discovery Wednesday of a burned body found in a burned out camper off of Poe Road in Marion County.

Marion County Sheriff Ronnie "Bo" Burnett said officials believe they know the identity of the body, but are awaiting DNA test results from an examination in Nashville before they release a name.

The fire apparently happened Saturday or Sunday and the camper was burned down to its frame, Burnett said. The remains were only bones, he said.

Neighbors, who might be related to the victim, found the camper burned around 2:30 p.m. CDT Wednesday in a remote wooded area more than a mile from state Highway 27, he said. The person they believe could be the fire victim had not been seen since Saturday.

Dispatchers said the nearest address to the scene was 175 Poe Road.

"We're pretty certain we know who it is, but we can release the name until we get test results back," Burnett said.

State Bomb & Arson and Tennessee Bureau of Investigation agents investigated the scene to seek a cause and to determine whether there was any found play involved, the sheriff said.

State officials finished examining the scene around 8 p.m. CDT Wednesday, he said.

While officials don't suspect foul play, "we are doing a thorough investigation just in case something comes up later on," he said.