BENTON COUNTY, ARKANSAS, Ark. — The Benton County Sheriff's Office (BCSO) said on Thursday they didn't have any reason to refute the coroner's findings in the case of a Missouri ER doctor's death — a story that captured nationwide attention last year when he was reported missing.
The body of Dr. John Forsyth, who was reported missing from Cassville, Missouri on May 21, 2023, was found in Beaver Lake, nearly 50 miles from where he was last seen alive.
On April 22, 2024, the Benton County Coroner's Office confirmed the 49-year-old died by suicide and cited ongoing investigations in not releasing his cause of death earlier.
In a statement on April 25, 2024, The Benton County Sheriff's Office said they didn't refute the coroner's finding, claiming that Forsyth had died of a gunshot wound to the head.
BCSO also gave new information not yet released to the public, citing that detectives saw multiple videos of Forsyth riding a bicycle to the area of Lost Bridge near Beaver Lake before his death. Deputies also said they'd found a bike near where Forsyth's body was found.
"Detectives have not been able to find any information or evidence that would lead us to dispute the medical examiner's findings. If objective and relevant physical evidence becomes available, those leads will be investigated on a case-by-case basis," Lt. Shannon Jenkins, the spokesperson for BCSO, said in the release.
There was no information on whether investigators found the gun used in Forsyth's death. However, Jenkins said they are "finalizing investigative tasks before the official closing of this case," and no other details will be released.
In the 11 months awaiting the final autopsy report, Forsyth's disappearance and subsequent death caused many online sleuths to suspect foul play due to him co-owning a cryptocurrency company with his brother, Richard Forsyth.
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