The Bartow County Sheriff`s Office has received confirmation of positive identification of last week’s victim found in the Etowah River. The GBI Crime Lab has identified the body found as Richard Blake Cowart. Cowart has been reported missing since the morning of April 4th, 2013 from his home on Hardin Bridge Road near the Etowah River.

According to Bartow County Sheriff Clark Millsap, no cause of death is available from the Crime Lab at this time as they are awaiting the results of tests run during autopsy.

The victim was found in the river on Thursday, April 18, 2013 by fishermen in the water.