Judge Found Dead At Bottom Of Lake After Disappearing During Family Trip

crime scene at a lake in the evening

Photo: Getty Images

The body of an Arkansas judge was discovered at the bottom of a lake after his family reported him missing. The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office said that County Northern District Judge Jeremiah Bueker, 48, was vacationing with family and friends near Mud Lake when he "ventured off alone."

As the sun began to set, Bueker's family and friends began to worry and started searching the area for him. Once it got dark, they called 911 to report he was missing.

Rescuers searched the area on foot and dispatched several boats equipped with sonar to search the lake. While the search had to be suspended for a few hours due to low visibility, one of the boats located a body at the bottom of the lake the following morning.

After they pulled it up from the depths, Bueker's family confirmed it was him. Officials believe he died as the result of accidental drowning and are sending his body to the medical examiner's office for an autopsy.

"I truly pray that the successful recovery of Judge Bueker's body by our deputies and Arkansas Game & Fish Wildlife Officers brings some sense of closure to the Bueker Family and those who knew him best. The scour of emotions they must feel right now is devastating," Sheriff Lafayette Woods, Jr. said in a statement.


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