Death of man reported missing appears accidental

A man whose body was found Thursday near a wooded area off the side of a road in Jackson Twp. could have died 11 days earlier, police said Tuesday.

The deceased man was found off Farmersville Johnsville Road in Jackson Twp. He had specific tattoos that matched a missing Dayton man, and was identified as that missing man, 44-year-old James Campbell, said Jackson Twp. Police Chief Jon Schade.

During its investigation, an officer recalled a crash into a tree reported around 5:30 a.m. Jan. 22 in which no occupant was found inside the vehicle. The crash took place approximately 1.3 miles from where Campbell’s body was found, and the vehicle involved in the crash matched the description of a vehicle mentioned in a “be on the lookout” report for Campbell, Schade said.

Cameras in the area showed a person with a similar frame as Campbell, he added.

At the time of the Jan. 22 crash, officers searched the area but were not able to find anyone involved in the crash. The vehicle identification number, or VIN, came back to a woman who said the vehicle had been totaled and was at a junkyard last she knew, the chief said.

An autopsy was performed Sunday at the Montgomery County Coroner’s Office but the toxicology report has not come back yet. Evidence gathered so far indicates drugs may have been involved and that Campbell’s death was accidental, Schade said. There’s no sign of foul play.

A medical examiner reported Campbell showed signs of minor injuries consistent with a vehicle crash, but he would have been able to walk away from the scene, the chief said. There was no evidence of hypothermia.