Authorities not confirming if body in river is missing professor

A body found Friday morning in the James River may remain unidentified over the weekend, as police were not ready to confirm if it is missing Sweet Briar College professor Eleanor Salotto.

A group of canoeists discovered the body in the Joshua Falls area of the river, about seven miles east of Lynchburg, more than a month after Salotto was reported missing near downtown Lynchburg.

Police had previously searched stretches of the James closer to the city, but had not found anything.

Michael Wilson said he and his friends had been fishing in the area, but were regrouping when one of them pointed out the body, hanging in a tree a few feet above the water.

“I turned around and looked, I said ‘Oh my god, that is a body,’” Wilson said.

The group briefly wondered if a mannequin could have washed into the tree, but Wilson said after they paddled over to it, no one doubted it was human.

Wilson said he called 911 as soon as he got to shore. He placed the time of the discovery at about 11:30 a.m.

The body was discovered on the Amherst County side of the river, and officials from the Amherst County Sheriff’s Of-fice, Campbell County Sheriff’s Office, Virginia State Game Commission, Lynchburg Fire and EMS Department and the Lynchburg Police Department all converged on the scene.

Capt. Todd Swisher, with the Lynchburg Police Department, did not mention Salotto by name, but said the police de-partment was interested in the investigation related to a missing person report filed in the city in mid-February.

Salotto was reported missing from her downtown residence Feb. 12. Police said at the time she was wearing a lavender sweater, black pants and sneakers.

Wilson described the body his group discovered as a female wearing a sweatshirt, black pants and Adidas sneakers.

Capt. Paul Ginther, with the Lynchburg Fire Department’s swift water rescue team, also said the body appeared to be female, but police did not confirm the gender.

Swisher said police hope to identify the body after the Medical Examiner’s Office performs an autopsy over the weekend.

Ginther said the body was entangled in the tree, and had likely been obscured from view by recent high water.

Ginther said crews had limited their searches closer to Lynchburg, and no one had yet searched that section of the river.

“Due to the cold water and her being small, she just didn’t come up,” Ginther said.

“We probably wouldn’t have found her anyway,” he said, because of the high water and the body being trapped in the tree. “Kind of like looking for the old needle in a haystack.”

Sweet Briar officials said they were paying close attention to the case, but would have no comment unless police identified the body as Salotto’s.

Wilson said though he was shaken by the discovery, he was glad it had been made.

“It’s bad for us to find her,” he said, “but in a way it’s good, because she can be put to rest.”

He said the group plans to keep fishing the river, but had no delusions that they would ever forget Friday’s events.

“From now on when I float this river, that’s the only thing I can remember,” he said.

“I’ve had a lot of good memories on this river, but that’s not a good one.”

Friday’s discovery was the second body found on the James this month. On March 7, Bedford County authorities recov-ered the body of Sean Placko, 42, from the James River near the Snowden bridge.

Three Augusta County residents have been charged with conspiracy to commit murder in that case.

Updated 3:23 p.m.

Lynchburg Fire Department crews pulled a body from the James River shortly before 3 p.m. today.

The body, found in the river near Mt. Athos Road at the line between Amherst and Campbell counties, will be sent to the medical examiner's office. Authorities expect it will be identified over the weekend.

A fisherman who found the body said it appeared to be female and wore women's clothing. Fire officials also said the body appeared to be female.

The fisherman, Michael Wilson of Concord, said he and some friends came upon the body around 11:30 a.m. while fishing.

Fire officials said the body appeared to have washed into a tree during the river's last high-water event and was exposed when the water receded.

Capt. Paul Ginther said no one had searched that stretch of the river during the multiple searches of the river for missing Sweet Briar College professor Eleanor Elizabeth Salotto.

Salatto was last seen Feb. 11. Authorities have searched around the James River in Lynchburg for her several times since then.

On March 7, authorities found the body of 42-year-old Sean Peter Placko, of Churchville, in the James River near the Snowden Bridge.

Three people have been arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit murder in connection with Placko's death.

Earlier:

A body was found in the James River around noon today, authorities said.

A person fishing spotted the body in the river near Mt. Athos Road, said Capt. L. T. Guthrie of the Campbell County Sheriff's Office.

Authorities are attempting to remove it now.

Details about the body are unknown.

This marks the second discovery of a body in the James River in the Central Virginia area this month.

On March 7, authorities found the body of 42-year-old Sean Peter Placko, of Churchville, in the James River near the Snowden Bridge.

Three people have been arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit murder in connection with Placko's death.

Sweet Briar College professor Eleanor Elizabeth Salotto has been missing for more than a month; she was last seen Feb. 11. Authorities have searched around the James River in Lynchburg for her several times since then.