Funeral services were scheduled for Jan. 29 for Brian Reed, the brother of Baltimore Ravens star Ed Reed, whose body was recovered Jan. 26 from the Mississippi River in what authorities are calling an accidental drowning.
Louisiana authorities earlier in the week tentatively identified a body recovered from the Mississippi River as Reed, who had been missing for more than three weeks.
According to a police press release, the body was found near the St. Charles/Jefferson Parish line, close to where the 28-year-old Brian Reed jumped into the river after an encounter with a deputy in early January.
In a joint press conference with the Reed family Wednesday, St. Charles Parish Sheriff Greg Champagne said the body was first spotted on Jan. 23, according to the Associated Press. But searchers could not immediately free the body which was “tangled in extensive underwater debris,” due to tricky river conditions, according to the press release. Additional boats and equipment, sonar and divers were added to the effort on Jan. 25.
The Reed family issued a statement thanking the search teams, who had scoured the area for the missing man.
“We would like to thank all the agencies that worked persistently to recover our loved one. First, Mr. Tim Miller with Texas Equa Search, Team Waters, Inc., the divers from Madcon Corporation, and the St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office who worked endlessly and would not give up,” the statement, obtained from the Sheriff’s Department, read. “We would also like to thank St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office who also helped in the search. We appreciate all prayers and support from everyone throughout this trying time.”
The tragic chain of events began on Jan. 7, when Ed Reed said his brother was suffering “mental issues” and had taken a sibling’s car, according to the AP. The family reported the car as being driven without authorization in an attempt to “basically slow my brother down and just bring him in, bring him home,” Reed said.
“Unfortunately, he thought otherwise,” he said of his brother. “There was nothing illegal going on or anything like that.”
When a deputy encountered Reed at a gas station, he detained him. Reed reportedly pulled away, jogged over a levee and jumped into the river. Reed is survived by his family, including a 2-year-old son.
“For reasons that only Brian would know, he chose to go into the river,” said Champagne, according to the AP. “We’re just hopeful the Reed family can have some peace now.”