JONESPORT, Maine — The Maine State Police Department said it believes a body found Thursday off Route 187 in Jonesport is 43-year-old William Merchant, who has been missing for nearly 11 months.
An autopsy was completed Friday at the State Medical Examiner's Office and no determination was made on the cause of the death because of the condition of the remains. However, detectives said there was no evidence of foul play.
Authorities have been attempting to locate Merchant since July 2019. Merchant was reported missing on July 8 and was last seen in the Jonesport area.
At the time Merchant went missing, he was described as a white male standing about 5 feet, 7 inches tall and weighing about 150 pounds.
Additional work will be completed by the State Police DNA Lab to determine Merchant's positive identification, however items found with the body indicate it is him.