A body found Saturday along Crooked Creek in Boone County is believed to be that of Amy Villines of Harrison, who has been missing since she and her husband, John Villines, disappeared during a flash flood Nov. 30.
Boone County Sheriff Mike Moore said the body was found in a debris pile along Crooked Creek near Lost Spur Ranch, about 3 miles upstream from where John Villines' body was recovered Feb. 4.
Moore said the body found Saturday had been sent to the state medical examiner's office for identification.
John and Amy Villines disappeared after a flash flood swept their SUV off Highland Avenue, just south of Capps Road. The vehicle was found lodged against a bridge over a drainage ditch near Ridge Avenue, about a half-mile from Lake Harrison. One window was broken out.
Authorities believe the couple escaped from the vehicle but the water carried them downstream, through a tunnel under downtown Harrison and into Lake Harrison.
For much of December, the city drained the lake, but the bodies weren't found. That meant the bodies could have been washed over the weir, or low dam, and farther down Crooked Creek. John Villines' T-shirt, sweatpants and wallet were found below the weir on Crooked Creek shortly after the search began.
John Villines' body was found 20.7 miles downstream from Lake Harrison, Moore said.
The other body was found about 17 miles downstream from the lake.
Harrison Mayor Jerry Jackson said the city spent about $75,000 to drain the lake. He expects the total cost to be less than $100,000.
"We do have a little more to do in repairing the lake," he said.
State Desk on 02/12/2019