Searchers recover body in river

Believed to be brother of NFL star Ed Reed

With the help of volunteer rescue workers, authorities recovered a body in the Mississippi River, according to Sgt. Dwayne LaGrange, a spokesman for the St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office.

The body is believed to be that of 29-year-old Brian Reed, from Destrehan, who is the brother of All-Pro safety Ed Reed.

“We are just thankful that the body was recovered,” LaGrange said. “Now we have to determine the identity so that we can bring closure to this case.”

Brian Reed has been missing since Jan. 7 when he allegedly entered the river to avoid a deputy’s pursuit. That day, a deputy was flagged down by a motorist who said that a vehicle was driving erratically and had almost run him off the road.

The deputy came across the car and its driver in St. Rose and was told by the driver that his vehicle had run out of gas, LaGrange said.

When the deputy offered to call someone for help, the man refused, LaGrange said. After the deputy drove off, he received a call about a stolen vehicle, which matched the description of the car he had just left. The deputy turned around, found the man in the same location and again asked him for ID.

“The man told the deputy that he didn’t have ID on his person, so the deputy began to question him,” LaGrange said. “That’s when the man fled.”

LaGrange said the deputy chased the man on foot through a business area and over the levee near the St. Charles-Jefferson Parish line. The man ran along the batture near the river, and appears to have entered the water on the side of a concrete pier.

On Jan. 25, volunteer rescue workers with EquuSearch were able to recover a body from the river in Kenner near the site where the man entered the water more than two weeks ago.

An autopsy was conducted on the body Wednesday and though authorities have not yet identified it as Brian Reed as of press time, the Reed family released the following statement.

“We would like to thank all the agencies that worked persistently to recover our loved one. First, Mr. Tim Miller with Texas Equa Search, Team Watters,  Inc., The Diver’s from Madcon Corporation, and the St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Department who worked endlessly and would not give up. We would also like to thank St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Department who also helped in the search. We appreciate all prayers and support from everyone throughout this trying time.”