Crime & Safety

Body of Jimmy Slack Found in Pittsburgh

The body of Jimmy Slack, who had been missing since Dec. 7, was found Monday in the Ohio River.

The body of Jimmy Slack,, was recovered Monday afternoon on the shore of the Ohio River, multiple police sources confirmed.

Pittsburgh police were called to an area near the Carnegie Science Center at around 1:30 p.m. and the description of the person’s clothing matched what Slack was wearing when he disappeared Dec. 7. Pittsburgh police Sgt. Joe Gannon said the crew on a boat that was pulling up to the shore noticed the body and called 911.

Bridgeville police Chief Chad King notified the family at their Bridgeville home shortly after.

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“It was very emotional,” King said. "I think they were still holding out to hope that he would come home.”

Police are waiting for an autopsy to determine how Slack died. It’s not immediately clear if his death is considered suspicious or accidental, but investigators added that he was found with his identification.

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“It is unclear to investigators, at this point, how Mr. Slack entered the river,” Pittsburgh police said in a press release. “The investigation is on-going. An autopsy will be performed and further details relating to the cause and manner of death will be released at a later time.”

Slack, who graduated from Chartiers Valley High School in 2004 and was living with his parents in Bridgeville, had gone to a String Cheese Incident concert at Stage AE on the North Side. He was separated from a friend, Paulette Beadling, who left with another person when she tried but failed to find him. He later exchanged numerous text messages and phone calls with her before disappearing.

Family members became concerned when he didn’t return or answer calls to his cell phone. They said he was getting ready to return to his job working on a barge, and that he would never want to miss his niece’s birthday that weekend.

that canvassed the North Side and placed fliers across the region. Slack’s family continued to hold out hope for his safe return even as few clues emerged and . They also launched a Facebook page and Twitter account to spread information about the missing man.

The Bridgeville community came together on Dec. 22 when at . His parents, James and Donna, and sisters, Maureen Shields and Laura Slack, greeted each of them with hugs and tears.

“The comfort was people looking for him and genuinely caring about him,” Donna Slack said that night. “I wouldn’t have been able to do this (without them).”

Continue to monitor Chartiers Valley Patch as more details become available.

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