Body of missing Maryland man found in Ohio's Cuyahoga River, cause of death unknown
The body of a Baltimore-area man who had been reported missing for nearly a week was found in the Cuyahoga River in Cleveland, Ohio, according to police.
The body was identified as 24-year-old Phoenix Phillips, the Cleveland Division of Police confirmed. The body was transported to the medical examiner's office to determine a cause of death.
Officers from the Cleveland Police Department were called Oct. 6 to respond to a report of what appeared to be a body in the water, police said. Police were assisted by the fire department, U.S. Coast Guard and EMS workers in locating and retrieving the body.
Police say Phillips, who was from Perryville, Maryland, was reported missing in the Cleveland area on Oct. 2. He had traveled to Cleveland to attend an NFL football game between the Browns and the Pittsburgh Steelers. He then disappeared.
Family members traveled to Ohio after he was reported missing and have been cooperating with police there on the case.
One of them is Amanda Phillips, Phoenix's mother. She has posted about her son's situation on Facebook.
In her latest post, she confirmed that the body was recovered from the river and that police believe it is her son. But Phillips said she is waiting for a DNA test to confirm 100% the body is her son's.
Multiple media outlets have reported that Phoenix Phillips was the father of a 2-year-old boy.
"I wanted all of you to know what I know, because I know how many people are waiting and hurting alongside our family," Amanda Phillips wrote on Facebook. "I have not yet received the official DNA confirmation, but in my heart, I am beginning to make peace with the possibility that this is Phoenix."
"Thank you from the bottom of my heart for every prayer, every message, every phone call, every share, and every person who has cared about Phoenix and helped us search for him," she said. "Your love and support have meant more than I could ever put into words.I love you all. Phoenix loved you all."