TBI identifies body found Sunday as Marion Co. state park remains closed for search

From Local 3 News: Local 3 News is working to learn if a suspect search is connected to a death investigation from over the weekend in Marion County.

Sheriff Bo Burnett told Local 3 News that the Marion County Sheriff's Department (MCSD) was called about a body being found at around 3:00pm on Sunday in the area of River Canyon Road.

Sheriff Burnett said the TBI was called in to help with the investigation.

The TBI identified the body as 66-year-old Danny Durham.

Local 3’s Xavier Harris reports, Durham was found under a pile of scrap metal in the backyard of a home on Big Rock Road.

Durham’s cousin told Harris that he did not live at the home where his body was found but said Durham would visit his bedridden uncle there.

The relative said the last time he spoke to Durham was early last week; but since then, his calls and texts to Durham had gone unanswered, prompting the family to report him missing later the same week.

The TBI said an autopsy has been scheduled to determine how Durham died.

On Monday, state forestry officials announced the temporary closing of Prentice Cooper State Forest for "the search of a suspect in a serious crime committed in the vicinity of" the park on Sunday night.

The state Forestry Division posted the following online:

"To facilitate the search for a suspect in a serious crime committed in the vicinity of Prentice Cooper State Forest last night (3/9/2025), the forest is temporarily closed to the public.
We are taking this step to ensure the safety of the public and staff and to assist law enforcement agencies' activities during this time."

The TBI would not say if the search and crime near Prentice Cooper is connected to Durham's death.

The investigation is ongoing.