A body pulled from Chippewa Lake on Tuesday afternoon has been identified as Lafayette Township Trustee Bryon Macron, the Medina County Sheriff’s Office said Wednesday evening.
Sheriff Tom Miller confirmed the Cuyahoga County medical examiner’s finding in a news release. Notification has been made to Macron’s wife and family.
The cause of death was not released, and the body was undergoing further testing as investigators continued to try to piece together answers.
Despite the case’s widespread publicity, fliers posted throughout the region and a $5,000 reward offered, authorities had acknowledged in recent weeks that few tips or clues had emerged in the case.
A news conference will be held at 4 p.m. Thursday at the Medina County Sheriff’s Office.
A kayaker discovered Macron’s body in the lake around 2:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Officials said Macron, 45, was last seen leaving his Ivandale Avenue home on Dec. 16. Authorities later found his township office in shambles and discovered his SUV parked about three miles away in a lot near Chippewa Lake.
Investigators said they found blood inside the vehicle and in Macron’s office. Forensics analysts from the state Bureau of Criminal Investigation and the FBI had assisted with analysis of the evidence prior to Tuesday’s discovery.
Macron, who worked as a national sales representative for a jewelry wholesaler, was a Marine veteran and father of three who had been a trustee since 2010 in the township of about 5,000 people.