OBION COUNTY, Tenn. — The manhunt for a 70-year-old suspect in the murders of two duck hunters ended Saturday afternoon after the man’s body was found in a Tennessee lake, investigators said.
David Vowell, of Martin, Tenn., had been considered armed and dangerous.
His body was discovered around 3 p.m. in the murky waters of Reelfoot Lake in Obion County, near the original crime scene where Chance Black, 26, and Zachary Grooms, 25, were shot Monday, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said.
Investigators said an autopsy was planned to determine the cause of death.
Obion County District Attorney Tommy Thomas told WREG-TV last week amid the manhunt that investigators have spoken to a third hunter who was in the same duck blind as the victims when the incident occurred. However, Thomas said he could not comment on what led to the shooting.
Vowell appeared to have fled the scene on foot as investigators told news outlets that a vehicle and a boat belonging to the suspect were seized near the boat ramp at the lake, Fox News reported.
UPDATE: Today, TBI Agents along with the Obion County Sheriff’s Office, @tnwildlife, @THPJackson, @THPMemphis, and @MadCountyFire searched by land, water, and air for double homicide suspect David Vowell at Reelfoot Lake.
Search efforts remain active and ongoing. pic.twitter.com/TUKexyBX4N
— Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (@TBInvestigation) January 30, 2021
UPDATE: This video, captured today aboard a @tnwildlife boat, shows the murky waters and terrain of Reelfoot Lake that are being searched for double homicide suspect David Vowell.
If you have information that could help in the ongoing search efforts, call 1-800-TBI-FIND! pic.twitter.com/OqUkLolupJ
— Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (@TBInvestigation) January 30, 2021
The bureau posted video and images of agents scouring the swamp land and rough terrain.
Reelfoot Lake is a 15,000-acre flooded forest that is part of Reelfoot Lake State Park, located in the northwest corner of the state near the borders of Missouri and Kentucky. The park is known for activities such as fishing, boating, wildlife viewing and camping, according to Tennessee State Parks.
