Authorities are investigating the possibility that the 19 year old found dead earlier this week was dumped into a LeFlore County pond by someone else after his death.
Deputies are awaiting the results of a medical examination on the body of Joshua Teves, a man who was reported missing out of the Talihina area the previous week. Until those results are forwarded back to the LeFlore County Sheriff’s Office, investigators will not know whether Teves died of a drug overdose or some other kind of ailment, said Sheriff Rob Seale.
If someone did dump Teves’ body, they could face felony charges, as Oklahoma has a statute against improper disposal of a body, Seale said.
The examination could take several weeks to be completed. In the meantime, Teves’ death is being investigated as a homicide, the sheriff said.
Teves’ body was discovered Monday in a pond outside of Talihina. The body was sent to the state medical examiner’s office to be identified and to determine the cause of death, according to the Sheriff’s Office.
“It was the body of a white male dressed in jeans, a t-shirt and was in about three inches of water in the pond,” Seale said.
“I didn’t believe it, thought it was a nightmare,” said Teves’ brother Isaac Oxly.
Neighbors near the pond said their area is normally quiet.
“I would suspect that it wasn’t anybody from this neighborhood,” said neighbor Mike Doyle.
Seale said it is unclear how long the man’s body was in the pond.
“With the water temperatures and cool temperatures that we’ve had, it has a profound affect on the decomposition of the body,” Seale said.
The family said they will rely on prayer to get through this difficult time.
“Just to keep strong and continue what I’m doing. He was going to be an uncle,” Oxly said.
Anyone with any information on Teves’ death is encouraged to contact the LeFlore County Sheriff’s Office.
