Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, August 24, 1993                   TAG: 9308240552
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C-3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: LAURENCE HAMMACK
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

MISSING MAN'S BODY DISCOVERED ALZHEIMER PATIENT FOUND IN CREEK

Roanoke police said the body of Johnnie Willie Clark, 67, was found about an eighth of a mile from his home.

Clark, who lived in the 1200 block of Thomas Avenue Northwest, had been missing since Thursday.

The Rev. Charles Green, a friend of Clark's family who helped with the search, said foul play was not suspected.

An autopsy is scheduled for today to determine the cause and approximate time of death.

Green said Clark's body was discovered by a neighbor about 3:45 p.m. in a secluded spot that had gone uninvestigated during previous searches.

It was not clear Monday whether Clark drowned in the creek or died from other causes, such as exposure or lack of food and water, Green said.

Clark suffered from memory loss and often was so disoriented that he would not have been able to tell anyone his name, Green said. He had a history of wandering away from home.

Family members last saw him about 10 a.m. Thursday at his home.

Fliers describing Clark and what he was last seen wearing were distributed throughout the neighborhood over the weekend as neighbors and police officers joined in the search.

Keywords:
FATALITY