A Missouri man who was found shot in an Arkansas lake last year died by suicide, officials said on Thursday.
According to KY3, the Benton County, Arkansas, Sheriff’s Office said they have no evidence contradicting medical examiners’ determination that John Forsyth, 49, killed himself. Investigators said surveillance footage showed Forsyth riding his bicycle from Cassville Aquatic Park, Missouri, to the Lost Bridge area of Beaver Lake, not far from where his body was found.
Forsyth, an emergency room doctor, vanished on May 21, 2023, when he was a no-show for a shift at Mercy Hospital in Cassville. His unlocked car was found abandoned a mile away at Cassville Aquatic Park. Ky3 reported that his two phones, wallet, and laptop were in his car.
On May 30, a kayaker discovered Forsyth’s body in Beaver Lake, Arkansas, 50 miles from where he was last seen. The Arkansas State Crime Lab determined he died of a single gunshot wound to the head, according to KOZL.
Previously, Forsyth’s brother told Fox News that the doctor was kidnapped during a February 2022 incident in which he was zip-tied, driven to a bridge, and threatened. He said his brother was released, but he never filed a police report because he still feared for his safety.
Forsyth, who was a father of eight, reportedly proposed to his pregnant fiancée three days before he vanished. Police said Forsyth stopped responding to text messages after texting his fiancée he would see her soon.
Forsyth’s brother told Fox that he proposed days after his divorce settlement was finalized. The ex-wife would reportedly receive $19,000 a month in alimony and child support, but Forsyth’s brother said their split was amicable.
According to KOZL, the Benton County Sheriff’s Office is finalizing its investigation into Forsyth’s death before formally disclosing the case.
