An extensive four month search has ended with authorities confirming a body removed from an Indiana lake Sunday is that of missing doctor Teleka Patrick.
The body was discovered by a fisherman Sunday near where Patrick’s abandoned 1997 gold Lexus was last seen on December 5, 2013, according to a statement from the Indiana State Police. A previous search of the lake by police did not turn up evidence because police officials said that the harsh winter prevented them from using all available search methods.
Patrick’s family issued a statement via their “Find Teleka” Facebook page, thanking everyone for their continued support but have asked the media to respect their privacy during a difficult time for the family.
“Teleka’s death is not the outcome we would have hoped for,” the statement says, “However, the journey does not end here.”
Now that her body has been identified, police will handle the task of piecing together clues that reveal Patrick’s cause of death. Videos from the night of her disappearance are being reviewed for answers, Carl Clatterback, a private investigator said. Footage taken from a Radisson Hotel in Kalamazoo, which does not have any audio, shows that Patrick spent several minutes speaking to a front desk attendant but ultimately left. She then boarded a hotel shuttle bus.
Family members pointed to a possible theory involving gospel singer Marvin Sapp, who filed a personal protection order against the young doctor. However, the autopsy did not show trauma to the body. The death is consistent with drowning, the coroner stated. A review of toxicology results is pending to provide additional details in the horrible death.