FORT WALTON BEACH — A body found in Choctawhatchee Bay on Christmas Day has been identified as that of a 20-year-old Fort Walton Beach man.
Officials haven’t determined how Levi Alfred Waltene Barnes died.
“We’re still waiting on autopsy results and toxicology reports,” said police Sgt. Matthew Holt. “We’re talking with the people who last saw him alive.”
Holt believes Barnes’ death was accidental. The body was found in the water near Beachview Drive.
The case is open. Holt could not share details on what Barnes was doing Dec. 14, the last day he was seen.
“He was out by himself in the water,” Holt said. “I don’t think it was suicide.”
Investigators with the Medical Examiner’s Office used dental records to identify Barnes.
The Fort Walton Beach Police Department had received calls from dozens of area residents, law enforcement agencies and out-of-town individuals who thought the body found in the water might have been a loved one.
“His identity just answers a part of the questions, so we’re still working on the rest of the answers,” Holt said. “But this first part is done.”
Contact Daily News Staff Writer Angel McCurdy at 850-315-4432 or amccurdy@nwfdailynews.com. Follow her on Twitter @AngelMnwfdn.