Officers found a deceased man with specific tattoos that matched the report of a missing Dayton man, said Jackson Twp. Police Chief Jon Schade. The man was identified as 44-year-old James Campbell, of Dayton. He had been reported missing on Jan. 24.
During the investigation an officer recalled a crash into a tree reported around 5:30 a.m. on Jan. 22. No occupant was found inside the vehicle. The crash took place approximately 1.3 miles from where Campbell was found, and the vehicle involved in the crash matched the description of a vehicle mentioned in a “be on the lookout” report for Campbell, Schade said.
Game cameras in the area showed a person with a similar frame as Campbell, he added.
After the crash on Jan. 22, officers searched the area, but were not able to locate anyone involved in the crash. The VIN for the vehicle came back to a woman who said the vehicle had been totaled and was at a junkyard last she knew, the chief said.
An autopsy was performed by the Montgomery County Coroner’s Office on Sunday, but the toxicology report has not come back yet. Evidence gathered during the investigation indicates drugs may have been involved and that Campbell’s death was accidental, Schade said. There’s no sign of foul play.
A medical examiner reported Campbell showed signs of minor injuries consistent with a vehicle crash, but he would have been able to walk away from the scene, the chief said. There was no evidence of hypothermia.
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