SADDLE LAKE — A multi-agency investigation continues after a fisherman discovered a man’s body floating near a boat ramp on Memorial Day.
The Perry County Coroner’s Office has officially identified the deceased as 43-year-old Anthony Evrard, a resident of nearby Tell City, Indiana.
While an autopsy has since been completed, Perry County Sheriff Dave Faulkenberg stated that the official cause of death remains “undetermined.” Because Saddle Lake is located within the Hoosier National Forest on federal land, the investigation has taken on a broader scope, involving local, state, and federal assets.
In a push to find answers, Sheriff Faulkenberg revealed that several items recovered by crime scene technicians from the lake area have been packaged and shipped to the FBI Laboratory in Quantico, Virginia, for high-tech forensic testing.
In tandem with the physical evidence, detectives are pivoting to a digital footprint analysis. Investigators are currently executing search warrants for Evrard’s recent cell phone records and social media accounts to piece together his final movements and timeline leading up to the holiday weekend.
Sheriff Faulkenberg noted that recent heavy rainfall in the area had kept the nearby campsites unusually quiet over the holiday weekend. The low turnout meant there were fewer immediate witnesses in the vicinity when the incident occurred.
The emergency response began early Monday morning, drawing a massive presence of law enforcement personnel who volunteered to work through the holiday.
At 7:15 a.m., anglers arriving early at Saddle Lake spotted a body floating in the water right next to the area’s lone boat ramp and immediately alerted emergency services by calling 911.
At 8:00 a.m., Perry County deputies arrived alongside Indiana State Police (ISP) and Indiana Department of Natural Resources (DNR) officers. Recognizing a complex scene, officials entirely closed off Saddle Lake and Saddle Lake Road to the public.
Later that morning, DNR dive teams searched the water while ISP crime scene technicians began documenting evidence from tire tracks to litter. Evrard’s personal vehicle was located parked near the boat ramp and was subsequently secured for a thorough forensic search.
Evrard, a graduate of Tell City High School who later attended Ball State University and the University of Louisville, was a well-known member of the local community. He worked as a fuel transport truck driver for Pilot.
According to family members, Evrard was an avid outdoorsman who loved hiking, playing video games, and listening to country music. He leaves behind a fiancée, Sasha Patel, and her son, Jackson.
Authorities have continuously stressed that there is currently no evidence indicating an active threat to public safety in the Perry County or Tell City areas. Local officials are asking anyone who may have seen Anthony Evrard or his vehicle near Saddle Lake between Sunday, May 24, and Monday, May 25, to contact the Perry County Sheriff’s Office.
The investigation is effectively on hold as detectives await formal reports from the FBI lab and digital forensics teams.
