Missing Whitakers Man Found Dead in Tar River

Family Confirms Missing Whitakers Man Jevon Rashad Battle Found Dead in Tar River After Days of Searching

ROCKY MOUNT, NORTH CAROLINA – A heartbreaking ending to a desperate search — 31-year-old Jevon Rashad Battle, who was reported missing out of Whitakers, has been found dead in the Tar River near Falls Road in Rocky Mount, according to his family.

Police said they were called around 9:30 a.m. Monday after reports of a body floating face down in the river near the Rocky Mount Mills area. The Rocky Mount Fire Department’s swift water rescue team recovered the body from the water.

Officials have not yet formally confirmed Battle as the person found, but family members told The North Carolina Beat on Monday afternoon that the body was that of Jevon Rashad Battle.

Before the grim discovery, relatives and friends had been pleading for public help to find Jevon, who hadn’t been seen or heard from since October 31. He was described as 5’7”–5’8” tall, 135–140 pounds, with black hair, brown eyes, and tattoos reading “Jaylen” on his left arm and “JRB” on his right.

The Rocky Mount Police Department said an active investigation is underway to determine how and why Jevon ended up in the river. Officers blocked Falls Road and the Falls Road bridge Monday morning while crews worked to recover his body and secure the scene.

In an emailed statement, police said they are working closely with the fire department and medical examiner’s office to uncover the circumstances surrounding Jevon’s death.

Authorities have not yet released an official cause of death pending autopsy results.