Positive identification cannot be made until the results of an autopsy have been received but Sheriff Dan Smith said in a press release that it is assumed to be Beach’s body.
For Beach’s father, the identity doesn’t remain in question.
When asked if he thought the body was that of his son, James Beach quietly said, “I know it is.”
Although authorities have previously searched for Beach, a team from Bell County Sheriff’s Office, a Department of Public Safety helicopter and military personnel joined family members in a second search Tuesday.
James Beach was with the team that found the body 30 minutes after the search began off Kuykendall Branch Road.
“With everything being overgrown, we just needed more people,” Beach said. “Once we were able to get more people, we were able to find him pretty quickly.”
The body was located about one-half mile from James Beach’s house, which is located southwest of Salado. He reported his son missing to the Bell County Sheriff’s Office on Sept. 10.
Michael Beach moved from California to Central Texas to live with his father in August, but then on Sept. 8, Michael left the house about 7 a.m. without his wallet.
He did leave a message on his myspace.com profile.
“Here for a while, but not to stay ... I’ll miss you all, ‘Good bye,’” he wrote.
Justice of the Peace Don Engleking pronounced death at 11:16 a.m. and ordered the body sent to Dallas for an autopsy. He said he would not know the cause of death until after the autopsy.
Laura Frase contributed to this story.
