Missing man found deceased
BY BRUCE BRANUM
The Greenville Standard
Greenville Police Chief Justin Lovvorn released a statement on Tuesday, Feb. 2, that a body was located in the Greenville area after a search was initiated utilizing drones operated by the from the Alabama State Bureau of Investigation (SBI).
Lovvorn later, on Saturday, Feb. 5, indicated the body had been confirmed to be Donald Gulley who was reported to have been missing on Jan. 12 by Morgan County Indiana Law enforcement.
Lovvorn stated in his original release, “They believed that Donald Gulley, a 65 year old white male, may have been travelling through the Greenville area while headed back to Indiana from Florida when family members lost contact with him on 12/29/21. Investigators with the Greenville Police Department tried to assist in the investigation by searching local records around that time period.”
He added officers were able to locate records where Gulley’s vehicle was towed by a local wrecker service after it broke down on U.S. Interstate 65 and also that Gulley had spent the night at a local hotel.
Lovvorn added, “Investigators spoke to the repair shop where the car was taken and found out that Mr. Gulley had come into the business the day after his car was towed there and talked about the repairs that would be needed.
“They stated that he talked to someone on his cell phone and walked out of the business without making arrangements to repair his car. They were unsure where he went after that, but stated that he did not return.”
Greenville investigators then began to request information from other business in the area, to include video footage.
After a foot search proved unsuccessful, the Greenville Police Department contacted the SBI and requested their aid utilizing their advance drones.
Lovvorn stated, “Greenville PD investigators met with the drone operators from SBI that morning and after an aerial search of the area, they located what appeared to be a body in a wooded area near the train tracks within a few hundred yards from the repair shop where Mr. Gulley was last seen. Investigators worked their way to the location on foot and processed the scene.”
He added, “The evidence collected at the scene indicates that the manner of death is a suicide. We will also wait for the autopsy results before confirming the manner of death and we will treat the death investigation as a criminal case until a final determination has been made.”
