Police ID body found in pond at Broadway, 31st South

Police on Wednesday released the tentative identity of a man found in a pond Tuesday afternoon near Broadway and 31st South.

Pending formal confirmation, authorities think the body found in Go Lake at 3360 S. Broadway is that of 42-year-old John Baird, Lt. James Espinoza said. Baird was reported missing in early February, he said.

He lived in the area of the lake, Espinoza said. The cause of death is still not known.

Two people were out fishing on the lake at about 2:40 p.m. Tuesday and saw what they thought at first was “a large turtle,” police have said. Once they determined it was a body, they called 911.

The body had been in the lake possibly for months, police said. It was largely decomposed and appeared to be a male. An autopsy was planned.

This story was originally published March 25, 2015 at 12:38 PM with the headline "Police ID body found in pond at Broadway, 31st South."