Investigation underway after body found in Sedgwick County Park

WICHITA, Kan. (KWCH) - Investigators are in Sedgwick County Park after a person’s body was found Tuesday afternoon.

Dispatchers said that the call came in at 1:14 p.m. from someone stating that a body had been found in the park.

The Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office said a park employee called 911 to report a possible body in a thick, grass-covered area in the northwest section of Sedgwick County Park, near 21st Street North and Ridge Road.

“Sedgwick County sheriff’s deputies, along with the Wichita Fire Department and Sedgwick County EMS, responded and found a body near a single campsite outside a tent,” the sheriff’s office said. “Due to the condition of the remains, detectives have not been able to immediately determine the decedent’s age or gender. The advanced decomposition has also prevented them from identifying any visible signs of injury.”

The sheriff’s office reported that deputies found personal belongings near the body and that it is working with the Sedgwick County Coroner’s Office “to positively identify the remains.”

“Detectives are also reviewing a missing person case reported in the area, though it is too early to confirm any connection,” the sheriff’s office said. “The coroner’s office will conduct an autopsy to determine the cause and manner of death, as well as estimate when the death occurred.”

Anyone who recently visited Sedgwick County Park and believes they might have information that could help detectives should call the Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office Investigations Division at 316-660-5300.