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TBI joins investigation into discovery of man's burned body, car in the lake

Deputies said a hunter called in a suspicious vehicle, which they later learned belonged to a missing Morristown man. K-9s found an unidentified body near the car.

BEAN STATION, Tenn. — UPDATE 5 PM THURSDAY: The TBI has joined the investigation into the death of a 26-year-old Morristown man found last week near Cherokee Lake.

Skyler Etgen's body was found Friday in the Tate Springs access area of Cherokee Lake. His car was found submerged in the lake nearby.

Authorities have said the body had been burned.

"His body has been sent for an autopsy," a statement by TBI spokeswoman Leslie Earhart reads. "At this time, the investigation remains active and ongoing."

Earhart said 4th Judicial District Attorney General Jimmy Dunn had asked the TBI to help the Grainger County Sheriff's Office with the death investigation.

Family members on social media expressed sorrow this week at Etgen's death. They have said they preferred not to speak about the matter.

UPDATE 2 PM THURSDAY: Skyler Etgen, the Morristown man reported missing last week, has been found dead in Grainger County, the Morristown Police Department said Thursday in a statement.

"We offer our condolences to his family and friends," the statement from Deputy Chief Michelle Jones reads.

Jones' statement offers no further information about Etgen's death.

Etgen's silver Mazda was found on Jan. 28 submerged in Cherokee Lake in Grainger County. A burned body was found nearby, according to authorities.

Authorities have not released the identity of the person found near Etgen's car.

Etgen was 26.

His family reported him missing in late January after not hearing from him for days. They said the last time they had contact with him was Jan. 25 before he left for work at Kawasaki Tennessee, according to Morristown police.

"Thank you to everyone who provided information in this missing person’s case," Jones' statement reads.

PREVIOUS STORY: State and local law enforcement are investigating after officers found an unidentified burnt body and a missing Morristown man's vehicle on the bed of Cherokee Lake.

According to the incident report from the Grainger County Sheriff's Office, deputies responded around noon on January 28 after a hunter reported a suspicious vehicle on the lake bed near Bean Station at 5574 Highway 11W. 

The man said he saw a silver Mazda parked on the bed for a couple of days while duck hunting.

Dispatchers ran the tag numbers, and the vehicle came back as belonging to a man who had been reported missing in Morristown days earlier: 26-year-old Skyler Etgen.

According to Morristown Police, Etgen's parents reported him missing last week after not hearing from him for days. They said the last time they had contact with him was on January 25 before he left for work at Kawasaki Tennessee.

Credit: Morristown Police Department

When deputies arrived, they said they found a cell phone and wallet. Deputies called two K-9 teams with the Morristown Police Department for assistance and said a K-9 found a burnt body a short distance away from the vehicle.

The GCSO said the body has yet to be positively identified as of February 2.

Investigators with the Morristown Police Department and Tennessee Bureau of Investigation were called to process the scene and collect evidence.

The body was sent to the Knox County Regional Forensic Center for autopsy and identification.

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