The body of a man who is thought to have committed suicide was found Thursday on a bank of the Arkansas River.
Through dental records, the state Crime Laboratory on Friday identified the man as 38-year-old Malvine Lee, who had been the subject of a missing-person investigation by the Pulaski County sheriff ’s office. Two fishermen found Lee’s body on a riverbank in Scott shortly before 6 p.m. Thursday.
Authorities had been searching for Lee since Dec. 12, when they responded to the Interstate 440 bridge after receiving a report that a manhad jumped into the river. Arkansas State Police located a 2011 Dodge Charger that had been abandoned at the scene. The car was registered to Lee and his wife.
Lee’s wife told investigators that her husband had “conveyed intent to leave the vehicle on top of this bridge and commit suicide by jumping into the river,” according to a Pulaski County sheriff’s office report. The Little Rock and North Little Rock fire departments deployed boats to search for Lee but did not find him.
Lt. Carl Minden of the sheriff ’s office said Friday that foul play was not suspected in Lee’s death.
Northwest Arkansas, Pages 18 on 03/23/2014