The Liberty County Sheriff’s Office has identified the body that was found floating in a pond along CR 2291 in the Madedonia area near Tarkington on Sunday.
The body is Steven William Willingham, 54, who was known for living in the Cleveland area, said Capt. Ken DeFoor, a spokesperson for the sheriff’s office.
Willingham’s cause of death is still unknown. DeFoor said investigators are still awaiting autopsy results.
Willingham’s body was found around 5:15 p.m. by a group of nearby residents who were intending to fish in a pond on an abandoned property.
“Our investigators found personal items lying along the banks of the pond. It appears the man may have been swimming and experienced some difficulties in the water,” DeFoor said on Sunday.
The man’s clothing was found along the bank. He was clothed only in his underwear.
“It appears he had been in the water for at least a couple of days,” DeFoor said.