No foul play suspected in death of man found in river

Published 11:38 am Friday, July 20, 2012

VIDALIA — No foul play is suspected in the death of a Natchez man who was found floating in the Mississippi River last night near the Old River control structure in Concordia Parish.

Arthur Felton, 66, of 13 James Brown Ave., was removed from the river just south of the Angola ferry landing after Concordia Parish Sheriff’s deputies were notified of the body floating down the river.

Felton had been missing since Tuesday, when his family filed a missing person’s report with the Adams County Sheriff’s Office.

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CPSO deputies contacted ACSO deputies, believing the body found was Felton.

A preliminary examination of the body by deputies showed no signs of gunshot or stab wounds, Sheriff Chuck Mayfield said.

At approximately 1:20 a.m., Felton was transferred to Jackson for an autopsy.

Adams County Coroner James Lee said he was given the case because officials are unsure of whether the death occurred in Louisiana or Mississippi.

Lee said he was unable to confirm the identity or cause of death because the body was immediately transferred to Jackson.

Autopsy reports will be available next week.

Felton is the brother of Clark Felton, an Adams County man who was murdered in 2009 on LaGrange Road. The two suspects in Clark Felton’s murder pleaded guilty Tuesday — the day Arthur Felton went missing — to lesser charges of manslaughter and were sentenced to serve 20 years in prison.