On March 18th at approximately 5:00PM Ozark-Dale County E911 received a call in reference to a deceased person on East County Road 36 near the Choctawhatchee River in the Echo Community. Due to the state of decomposition the body has been transported to the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences for positive identification and an autopsy. To protect the integrity of the investigation limited information will be released but based on evidence collected at the scene investigators are treating this as a homicide investigation.  The sheriff’s office is being assisted by the Dothan and Ozark Police Departments, Dale County District Attorney’s Office, Dale County Coroner’ s Office, Echo Fire and Rescue, ALEA Troopers and the Dale County Sheriff’s Mounted Posse.  We urge anyone with information or anyone who may have seen any suspicious activity in that area to contact the sheriff’s office @ 774-2335. You can also leave an anonymous tip by visiting our website at www.daleso.com and click on the “Crime Tip” tab.  As more information becomes available we will update.

Chief Deputy Mason Bynum

Dale County Sheriff’s Office

113 West Reynolds St. Ozark, Al 36360

(334) 774-2335 (Office)

(334) 774-2909 (Fax)