Jefferson City police confirm identity of body found in Missouri River
The body of a Jefferson City man believed to have jumped from the Missouri River Bridge in December was found Tuesday 15 miles down river in Osage County, according to his family and the Jefferson City Police.
Police found Chugg at the Chamois river access.
Chugg’s father told ABC 17 News a commercial fisherman found his son’s body Tuesday afternoon.
Family members say police were able to identify the body immediately because of Chugg’s distinctive tattoos.
The family told ABC 17 News Chugg’s body was transported back to Jefferson City, where an autopsy is scheduled for Wednesday afternoon.
Investigators said Chugg and his girlfriend got into an argument in the 1100 block of W. McCarty Street on Dec. 12. Chugg reportedly told his girlfriend he was going to jump off the bridge.
The woman was driving over the bridge and saw Chugg standing on the pedestrian walkway. When she was able to park and make her way to the walkway, she could not find him. Chugg’s personal items, including clothing, were found on the walkway near their “lock of love.”
Despite an initial search by the Jefferson City Fire Department and Missouri State Highway Patrol Water Division, emergency responders were not able to find Chugg. The search was called off due to unsafe conditions for responders.
