By LESLIE EIKLEBERRY
Salina Post
Law enforcement authorities have identified the body found hanging from a tree south of Salina as that of Todd R. Smith, 57, of Kansas City, Missouri, according to Saline County Sheriff Roger Soldan.
Smith, a Salina native, was last seen on Nov. 28 and was reported missing to the Salina Police Department by Salina area family members on Dec. 7.
The sheriff's office is awaiting autopsy results before releasing any additional information about the case, according to Soldan.
Smith had previous felony convictions that include forgery, obstruction, burglary, theft, aggravated failure to appear, aggravated escape from custody and four or more for DUI in Saline County, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections.
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SALINE COUNTY —A badly decomposing body was found hanging from a tree south of Salina early Saturday afternoon.
Saline County Sheriff Roger Soldan said this morning that deputies were sent to the 1100 block of W. Farrelly Road just before 1 p.m. Saturday for the report of a body found.
A man who lives in the area and a friend from out of town were on a UTV attempting to locate where beavers had downed trees along Dry Creek when they spotted a shirt hanging back in the trees. They went closer and discovered the body hanging from the tree. Soldan said the body was approximately 100 yards from the road.
The body, believed to be that of a male, had been there for some time based on its decomposition, Soldan said. An identification of the body will not be possible until after an autopsy is performed. Soldan said he hopes to have preliminary autopsy results by the end of the week.