Body Found in 2022 is Kentucky Man Missing from Caesars Southern Indiana
Posted on: June 6, 2025, 02:01h.
Last updated on: June 6, 2025, 02:01h.
- Man vanished in 2022 after visiting Caesars Southern Indiana.
- Body pulled from Mississippi River 350 miles downstream.
- DNA and genealogy tech helped finally identify remains.
Human remains recovered from the Mississippi River in Missouri three years ago have been identified as those of a man who was last seen at Caesars Southern Indiana in 2022, 350 miles away.
The New Madrid County Sheriff’s Office announced this week that DNA testing had found the remains belonged to Robert J. Eaton, 26, of Louisville, Ky.
Eaton was reported missing by his family in February 2022 after he failed to return home from the casino, which is directly across the Ohio River from Louisville.
After his disappearance, police scoured the southern Indiana and nearby Louisville region for Eaton, but they were unsuccessful.
No Signs of Trauma
Four months later, in Portageville, Mo., deputies from the New Madrid County Sheriff’s Office pulled a body from the Mississippi River.
The deceased was described as being a white male between the ages of 19 and 20 and approximately 5’10” in height. The body was estimated to have been in the river for a minimum of two to three months. No signs of trauma were noted, according to the sheriff’s office.
Beyond that, they had little to go on and were unable to determine the John Doe’s identity. That was until investigators enlisted the help of Southeast Missouri State University to consult on the case.
University technicians were able to employ the very latest forensic genetic genealogy techniques to determine close DNA matches. Investigators then saw that possible relatives of John Doe had posted on social media about a missing loved one who matched the profile of the body.
Eaton’s family traveled to Missouri on May 30 to identify and retrieve the body.
“They assured us that they are finally at peace, and they took some comfort in the fact that this case opened the door to new techniques that will change the way we investigate these cases in New Madrid County,” Sheriff Joey Higgerson said in a June 3 news release.
What Happened to Eaton?
However, questions remain as to how the body ended up in the Mississippi River around 350 miles away from the casino.
It’s theoretically possible for a body to enter the Ohio River in Elizabeth, Ind., and be carried downstream to the Mississippi River in Portageville, but it would be unusual occurrence. The body would have to travel 700 miles to the Ohio’s confluence with the Mississippi at Cairo, Ill., and then a further 50 miles approximately to Portageville.
After spending several days in the water, gases from decomposition cause a body to float. This means it would likely become visible to boaters, commercial traffic, or patrols on the heavily trafficked river, which also has numerous locks and dams.
Authorities confirmed that the investigation into what happened to Eaton is ongoing.
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