JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Police say the death of a man whose body was found floating in Julington Creek on Wednesday morning was the result of a suicide.
The Jacksonville Sheriff's Office detectives responded to Mandarin Park about 10 a.m. after boaters spotted the body of 38-year-old David Evanko. His remains were pulled from the water on the north side of the creek near where it meets the St. Johns River. Police said initially they suspected foul play, but on Thursday ruled it a suicide.
"Someone mentioned there was a body out there, and there was fishing boat out there keeping an eye on it until law enforcement brought it in," said Paul Burns, manager of the Julington Creek Pier.
Detectives estimated the body had been in the water for two to four days.
Police interviewed the witnesses who found the body and looked for any physical evidence.
"What we need to do now is attempt to determine who this individual is and get a timeline of the last time somebody saw him," said JSO Sgt. Jay Farhat on Wednesday.
Burns said he was making sure all the people who live and work on the boats were accounted for.
"When the word gets out, you say have you seen this person, have you seen this person?" he said. "I think the people who stay on the boat are pretty much all accounted for."
Police said the victim had been in the 83-degree water for days.
"The tide moves in and moves back out, so most of the time when a body floats, it's going to be close to where it went under," Burns said. "The tide isn't going to take it very far before it turns around and comes back."