Missing man’s body found in southeastern Oklahoma

SOPER, Oklahoma (AP) – Authorities in southeastern Oklahoma say the body of a missing man has been recovered in a secluded area near where his abandoned pickup truck was found earlier.

The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation says the body of 35-yer-old Michael Paul Beech was found on Friday in rural Choctaw County northeast of Soper, about 144 miles southeast of Oklahoma City.

Investigators say Beech was last seen on March 3 in nearby Sawyer. His vehicle was recovered the next day but there was no sign of Beech. His body was recovered in a nearby body of water during a second search of the area.

The OSBI says Beech’s body was transported to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Tulsa for an autopsy to determine his cause of death.