Medina County officials released almost no new information at a meeting held Thursday to answer reporters’ questions about the discovery of a missing township trustee’s body floating in Chippewa Lake earlier this week.
The most significant revelation was that officials had completed a preliminary autopsy on the body of Bryon Macron, 45, who had been missing two months. However, no information was released regarding the state of his body.
Asked if Macron’s body was bruised or visibly wounded and if water was found in his lungs, county Coroner Dr. Lisa Deranek, who was elected in November, declined to comment.
Deranek said the cold water in the lake made it impossible to determine how long Macron’s body had been there.
She declined to specify a cause for Macron’s death, citing toxicology reports that are expected to be complete within three weeks.
Reporters received similar non-answers from Prosecutor S. Forrest Thompson, who also was elected in November. He refused to answer questions about the condition of Macron’s body, his whereabouts leading to his disappearance and details about blood in Macron’s township office and vehicle, which was found near the lake.
“It would not be appropriate for me to comment at this time because it is an ongoing investigation,” Thompson said.
Thompson also refuted reports that Macron’s office showed signs of an “altercation,” but conceded that the office was found in disarray. Asked if people should be fearful for their safety, he said, “No,” but declined to elaborate.
Later, after providing similar responses to several other questions, Thompson acknowledged that little news was coming from the conference.
“I’m starting to sound like a broken record,” he said.
He did say foul play is a possibility in the case, but explained it’s one of many possibilities.
Sheriff Tom Miller, who was elected in 2012, said little at the news conference. He did clarify that authorities had searched Chippewa Lake at the shoreline and an Ohio State Highway Patrol plane had flown over the lake searching a five-mile radius for Macron’s body.
Macron was found dead on Tuesday, floating 300 yards from the shore of Chippewa Lake where his vehicle was found shortly after his disappearance under “mysterious circumstances” on Dec. 16. That morning, a Lafayette Township employee found Macron’s office at the township hall — three miles away — in disarray with blood there too.
Authorities said his disappearance prompted a search of the lake, which was frozen over during the colder months of winter, but investigators found no evidence of his presence there.
Macron’s whereabouts remained unknown until Tuesday, when a 72-year-old kayaker discovered Macron’s bloated body and alerted authorities.
Macron, a husband and father of three, had been a trustee since 2010. He also worked as a national sales representative for a jewelry wholesaler and was a veteran of the Marines.
Nick Glunt can be reached at 330-996-3565 or nglunt@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @NickGluntABJ and on Facebook @JournoNickGlunt .