HENRY COUNTY, Va. — Investigators in Virginia believe there is no foul play involved in the death of the High Point man found face down in a river in Virginia earlier this year.
During the investigation, Henry County Sheriff's Office deputies learned Edward Airial, 67, suffered from dementia.
Airial was found dead in the Smith River with no apparent signs of homicide or foul play, HCSO officials said.
Airial lived on Abberton Way in High Point, North Carolina, a little more than an hour south from where his remains were found, deputies said.
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner in Roanoke, Virginia used DNA analysis to confirm the man found dead was, indeed, Airial. He went missing on Oct. 23, 2020. His family contacted the High Point Police Department, which issued a Silver Alert soon after. Airial's remains were spotted by someone driving past the water on Oct. 29, 2020.
HCSO deputies recovered Airial's vehicle on the 2700 block of Fairystone Park Hwy. in Bassett, Virginia.