Body found in Griffy Lake identified Friday afternoon

Authorities have confirmed a body found Thursday afternoon in the northeast portion of Griffy Lake to be that of Miles Halstead, 17, of Bloomington, Ind.\nPolice were contacted Wednesday when Halstead’s family reported him missing. At the 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 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 showed up to the dog park near the site where Halstead’s body was found on North Dunn Street, which was taped off by authorities. Witnesses were leaving after reportedly seeing Halstead’s body in the water, northeast of the dam on 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 knew it was Halstead because of the nature of questions police asked her. She said she and Halstead 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 thought 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.”\nFriday afternoon, Sgt. Jeff Canada of the Bloomington Police Department said there was no indication that the teen’s death a suicide and 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 about Halstead’s body being found Thursday at about 1 p.m. Halstead was then retrieved from the lake nearly 4 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 Sherriff’s Department, Indiana State Police and Bloomington Fire Department all assisted on the scene on Thursday.\nGriffy Lake prohibits swimming at all times due to conservation efforts, although dogs are allowed to swim in the water.