The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has joined a probe in Marion County after a man’s body was discovered in Prentice Cooper State Forest, and authorities are seeking a Whitwell, Tennessee, man for questioning.
“TBI special agents are working with the Marion County Sheriff’s Department on a death investigation that occurred at a property on Big Rock Road in Marion County,” according to a statement released by TBI public affairs. “An autopsy is scheduled to be performed to determine the manner and cause of death. This remains an active and ongoing investigation.”
The victim, whose body was discovered Sunday, was identified by the TBI as Danny Durham, 66.
The scene on Big Rock Road off River Canyon Road is about a half-mile east of Snooper’s Rock, a hiker’s scenic stop in the state forest on the bluffs above the site. River Canyon Road snakes along the Tennessee River between Hamilton and Marion counties. Authorities said the state forest was closed while investigators gathered potential evidence from the scene.