The body found in Bee Tree Park along the Mississippi River has been identified as a man missing from Illinois whose car was found at the park.

James Andrae, 49, of the 300 block of Carola Street of Creve Coeur, Illinois, a suburb of Peoria, was last seen in Creve Coeur the morning of May 7, and his unoccupied Jeep Wrangler was found unoccupied at Bee Tree Park in Oakville the night of May 8.

The St. Louis County Police Department and the Mehlville Fire Protection District, among other agencies, searched for Andrae and could not find him at that time.

But a person working along the banks of the Mississippi notified police of what they believed to be a body May 17. At first, an autopsy could not positively identify the person.

A missing/endangered person alert was issued for Andrae because he suffered from anxiety and depression and did not take his medication with him. 

Bodies have previously washed ashore in Bee Tree.

In September 2017, hikers along the Mississippi River found part of a human foot inside a shoe washed up on the shore in the park. In May 2018, the foot was positively identified as belonging to a missing man from St. Louis city.