Police recover body of missing man in Narragansett

February 20, 2016 12:52 pm

By News Staff

news@abc6.com

UPDATE: Police received a report of a body washed up on the beach in Jerusalem, Narragansett that matched the description of Peter E. Butler.

Narragansett Detectives were able to identify the body by clothing and identifying documentation found on the body.The body was turned over to the State Medical Examiner’s office for positive ID and further examination.

No foul play is suspected in this incident.

Butler was first spotted by two juveniles around 4 p.m. Thursday, about 150 feet off the coast, wearing what looked like a red hat and black hood. The girls reported him to police around 6 p.m., sparking a search effort. A suitcase was also found in the area containing a passport with Butler’s name on it.

Police say a person using Butler’s passport checked out of the Best Western in Warwick around 10:30 a.m. Thursday, wearing a blue coat, and red hat, and carrying a rolling suitcase and blue travel bag. Around 11 a.m., he was seen entering an airport taxi before being dropped off by the taxi on Hazard Avenue in Narragansett.

The Coast Guard and State Police called off their search Friday around 3:30 p.m. after searching for hours in the frigid waters of Hazard Avenue. Crews performed two searches Thursday night.

The area, where a 14-year-old drowned last summer while snorkeling, is known to be dangerous for swimming.