Update: Man's Body Found in Wilson Creek; Police Call it Suspicious

Updated at 7:45 p.m.
Original copy 2:15 p.m.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Police are investigating the discovery of a partially-clothed body in a west Springfield creek Friday.

Springfield officers, the Greene County Medical Examiner, and Springfield Fire Chief taped off a portion of a park on W. Bennett Street near S. Scenic Avenue.

That's where walkers on the nearby trail called authorities around 1 p.m. KOLR10 News is told the adult male's body was in the bed of Wilson Creek.

The nearby wooded area, which is near Isabel's House Crisis Nursery, is known for having transients. However, police aren't releasing information about the person's identity or cause of death at this time.

"It is what we would consider suspicious in nature," says Cpl. Matt Brown. "The fact that you have a body in a body of water, we would consider suspicious just to begin with. It's very early in the investigation. We've called the medical examiner and they've responded. We're in the process of getting to the body to bring it out so we can start the process of the investigation."

Cpl. Brown expected investigators to be on scene for several hours. He says they plan to conduct an autopsy as soon as possible -- either this weekend or early next week -- but he says it could take weeks to months to figure out what happened.

By late Friday afternoon, crews had roped off much of Wilson Creek, as well as the park. A boat was brought in as crews worked to remove the body from the water.