CASSVILLE, Mo. — Nearly a year after the body of a Missouri ER doctor was found in Beaver Lake and questions arose surrounding the nature of his death, authorities were able to confirm what led to his death.
On April 22, 2024, the Benton County Coroner's Office confirmed that 49-year-old Dr. John Forsyth died by suicide, and cited ongoing investigations in not releasing his cause of death earlier.
The case captured national attention when Forsyth was first reported missing in May 2023. His brother, Richard Forsyth, said John was last seen alive on security cam footage of a parking lot at a public pool in Cassville, Missouri. Richard said John was seen leaving his car unlocked with his wallet still inside and getting into a separate vehicle before driving away.
Richard said John had texted his fiancee that morning saying he'd see her soon. Authorities have not confirmed any information about the video, including if it was taken before or after Forsyth may have texted his fiancee.
Over a week later on May 30, a kayaker on Beaver Lake found Forsyth's body 20 miles from his last known location.
In an interview with 5NEWS in early June 2023, Richard said the family believed John was abducted and executed. "That's not from the police, but that's what we understand at this point."
Richard and other family members say John Forsyth was a devoted father to his eight kids and seemed happier than he'd been in a long time. They say he never missed a day of work, and would often sleep in an RV outside the hospital when he was on call.
Lt. Shannon Jenkins with BCSO said they haven't found any evidence that would lead them to dispute the coroner's opinion that Forsyth died by suicide. Jenkins mentioned deputies saw multiple videos of Forsyth riding a bike in the area where his body was later found.
There's also no information on whether investigators have found a weapon, but BCSO said that as it is finalizing investigative tasks, the case is considered open for now and no other information will be released.
5NEWS will update this article with more information as it becomes available.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Watch 5NEWS on YouTube.
Download the 5NEWS app on your smartphone:
Stream 5NEWS 24/7 on the 5+ app: How to watch the 5+ app on your streaming device
To report a typo or grammatical error, please email KFSMDigitalTeam@tegna.com and detail which story you're referring to.