VALLEY CITY, N.D. (KFGO) – Valley City Police say they have identified the man whose body was pulled from the Sheyenne River a week ago, three days after they released photos of stills from local surveillance video in the hopes that someone would recognize the man.
Police Chief Phil Hatcher says the body has been identified as 22-year-old Branden Elias, who was reported missing from Independence, Minnesota on July 17, the same day his body was recovered in Valley City.
Hatcher said his department is still investigating but there is no initial evidence of a crime.
Elias’ body was sent to a medical examiner for an autopsy.
