Man's body found just outside plain sight

LIMA — The investigation into the disappearance of Ronald Wells had included almost everything but a search party, until Saturday when searchers found his body along Stewart Road near the Interstate 75 overpass.

Chief Deputy Jim Everett of the Allen County Sheriff's Office said the area where he was found had been searched the week before by family members, but the position of the body halfway down an embankment made it hard to see. Searcher Mark Meihls found the body two hours into Saturday's search.

“It was hard to see, especially from the road,” Everett said. “He had the right angle to see it. Thousands of cars go by there every day.”

Sheriff's detectives had interviewed Wells' family and friends and were monitoring the 25-year-old's cellphone for activity.

Everett said that while suicide was considered a possibility, most similar cases don't turn out that way.

“Probably, most of the cases you get like this someone has taken off with a boyfriend or girlfriend,” he said, pointing out Wells was not reported missing until two days after he was last seen. “Normally that's what you think. The person just went somewhere.”

Saturday's search was conducted by volunteers. The Sheriff's Office and county emergency management officials provided organization to track what areas were searched.

“The family organized the search. They got volunteers to do the search,” Everett said. “We just kind of organized. They did the searching.”

A preliminary report from the coroner is expected in about a week, Everett said.