Missing Cody man found deceased

CODY (WNE) — After a multi-agency search that lasted more than a week, Cody man David Kelsey’s body was recovered from Beck Lake just before noon on Tuesday.

According to Cody Police Department Lieutenant Juston Wead, CPD detectives were glassing Beck Lake Tuesday morning as they continued their search for Kelsey. After law enforcement agents identified an object surfacing in the water, they employed a drone for reconnaissance and requested assistance from Park County Search and Rescue.

The body was positively identified as the missing Kelsey shortly after being pulled from the water, Wead said.

“While this is not the outcome anyone hoped for, it is our hope that this brings some measure of closure to David’s family and loved ones. We ask that the family’s privacy be respected during this difficult time,” CPD published in a Tuesday afternoon social media post.

Kelsey’s body was transferred to Park County coroner Cody Gortmaker, who will complete an autopsy and determine cause of death over the next few days.  No foul play is suspected at this time.

Kelsey was last seen at his home, just before midnight on January 23.  Family members reported that he likely left his house sometime between 11:30 p.m. and 2:30 a.m., during a weekend in which overnight temperatures dipped below zero.