Authorities Searching For Identity Of Body

Medical authorities are attempting to identify a body found stuffed in a 55-gallon barrel along a highway in McCurtain County. A U-S Forestry Service employee found the barrel on U-S 259 about eight

Saturday, January 8th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

Medical authorities are attempting to identify a body found stuffed in a 55-gallon barrel along a highway in McCurtain County. A U-S Forestry Service employee found the barrel on U-S 259 about eight miles south of Smithville on Thursday.

The employee thought the barrel might contain hazardous waste and called for help. Law enforcement authorities then discovered the decomposed body. Authorities say the body is of a white female, wearing jeans, size 12 blue tennis shoes, a silver mesh belt and a button-down shirt.

The state Medical Examiner's office in Tulsa is performing an autopsy. The cause of death has not been determined.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation in Idabel or the McCurtain County sheriff's office.