Body Recovered
Body Recovered
Suspicions Rise
WIBW Kevin MacDonald
Authorities say a body pulled from Lake Shawnee near Topeka today is probably that of a 21-year-old man missing for six days.
Shawnee County park rangers spotted a body thought to be that of Ebben Wright of Topeka at about 7:30 am. The body was pulled from the water and taken to the coroner's office for positive identification.
Sheriff's Lieutenant Scott Holladay said investigators have no reason to believe the body is not Wright's. Friends say Wright jumped from a boat and disappeared in the water last Tuesday.
But Wright's father wants attorney general Phill Kline to launch
a criminal investigation because he says his son was terrified of
water and wouldn't even get into a boat.
Ebben's family suspects foul play.
"None of them saw anybody on that boat jump in to save Ebben," Wright said.
"There could be a possibility of criminal activity, but so far in this case we haven't determined that," Barta said.
Conflicting reports from witnesses have family members wanting to know more about the people Ebben was on that boat with, or if he was on the boat at all.
"If there is anything like that, it has not come up in this investigation," Barta said.
"For the sheriff to say it doesn't sound strange to him just seems really odd to me," Wright said.
It’s a reason why family members want more intense investigations until the case is solved.
"Somebody will do it because we'll go a step higher and a step higher until we get somebody to do it," Wright said.
Members of the group Bias Busters question whether the
sheriff's investigation is thorough enough. Founder Sonny Scroggins
noted that Wright was black, while the others on the boat were
white.
Scroggins said the attorney general's office should intervene.
Family members have planned a memorial tree dedication at Lake Shawnee Monday night at 8:30.