JACKSON -- Jackson County Sheriff Roger Hawkinson confirmed Thursday the body found by a deer hunter Sunday has been positively identified as that of 49-year-old Kelly William Fest, who had been missing since June.
"The family has been informed," Hawkinson said, adding that he hoped people would be considerate to Fest's elderly parents and give them space and time to grieve. "We want people to be respectful to the family."
Fest first went missing in June 2010, and the family reported his absence to the Jackson County Sheriff's Office approximately two weeks later. He was living in the basement of his parents' rural Heron Lake residence at the time. Authorities released a description of the 5 feet 7 inch tall man with reddish-blonde hair and a beard, asking anyone with information regarding his whereabouts to call the sheriff's office.
On Sunday, the Jackson County and Cottonwood County Sheriff's Offices were called to a vacant farm in Springfield Township, Section 16 in Cottonwood County. A deer hunter, hunting a grove on the property, had found Fest's body.
Authorities suspected immediately it may be Fest, but sent the body to the Ramsey County Medical Examiner's Office in St. Paul for an autopsy and identification. No foul play was suspected, but circumstances made an autopsy mandatory.
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Click here for information about Fest's funeral services.
