Crime & Safety
UPDATE: Body Found in Lake Elkhorn Identified
A citizen discovered the body in one of Columbia's man-made lakes on Tuesday afternoon.
Update - Thursday 11:30 a.m.
Police have identified the body of the man found dead in Lake Elkhorn as Andrew Nathaniel Austin, 32, of no fixed address.
Police said a preliminary autopsy revealed no signs of injury and foul play is not suspected at this time.
Police are still trying to figure out why Austin was in the lake. Police said they are still waiting for confirmation of the cause and manner of death from the Maryland Medical Examiner's office.
Court records show Austin listed at 7500 Freetown Road in Columbia in 2008, which is the location of Grassroots Crisis Intervention. Grassroots is a local homeless shelter and crisis center that serves men, women and families.
A citizen spotted the male body in the water near the 7200 block of Dockside Lane in Columbia around 4:15 p.m. on Tuesday afternoon, according to police. It was later removed by fire personnel.
Police said initially there were no obvious signs of injury or foul play, but the body was sent to the medical examiner's office for an autopsy to determine the cause of death.
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