Body found in Griffy Lake identified Friday

Authorities confirmed a body found Wednesday afternoon in the northeast portion of Griffy Lake to be that of Miles Halstead, 17, of Bloomington, Ind.\nHalstead’s family contacted police the day before to report him missing. Upon completion of an initial search, authorities discovered Halstead’s bicycle near the lake.\nNicole Meyer, Monroe County chief deputy coroner, conducted the autopsy on Halstead and said he was positively identified through dental records. Meyer also said the cause of death at this time was determined to be accidental drowning. A final determination on the cause of death will be made once toxicology reports come back in six to eight weeks.\n“We have not ruled if it was a suicide, and there are no signs of foul play,” Meyer said. “But everything found is consistent with drowning.”\nFriends came to the dog park on North Dunn Street near the site where Halstead’s body was found, which was taped off by authorities. Witnesses reported seeing Halstead’s body in the water, northeast of the dam Thursday afternoon.\nIU senior Tim Meador, 23, was hiking with his two dogs when he and another witness saw Halstead’s body, he said.\n“I just saw a body floating in the water,” Meador said.\nMolly Arnholter, 16, of Bloomington, said she believed the body found belonged to Halstead because of the nature of questions police asked her. She said she and Halstead had stopped dating the day he went missing.\n“I heard the sirens, so I knew that they had found him,” she said.\nArnholter said Halstead’s friends called her to ask if she knew of Halstead’s whereabouts.\nShe said his friends told her Halstead had gone to the lake.\n“So I came here, found his bicycle and I searched for him,” Arnholter said. “And then I camped out here. I never found him. I went back this morning and then I heard the sirens, so I came by.”\nOn Friday afternoon, Sgt. Jeff Canada of the Bloomington Police Department said there was no indication that the teen’s death was a suicide, and that the case is now closed.\n“There was no evidence of foul play,” Canada said. “It was an accidental death consistent with drowning.” \nCanada said Halstead’s family reported him missing at about 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday.\nAccording to reports, the Bloomington Police Department received calls at about 1 p.m., Thursday about Halstead’s body being found. Halstead was then retrieved from the lake nearly four hours later and put into a transport vehicle as authorities blocked the scene with a blue tarp.\nPolice said Halstead’s body was already at “some stage of decomposition.”\nThe Monroe County Dive Team, Indiana Department of Natural Resources, Bloomington Police Department, Monroe County Coroner’s Office, Monroe County Sheriff’s Department, Indiana State Police and Bloomington Fire Department all assisted on the scene Thursday.