West Tennessee continues the search for Jessie Thurston

“Jessie was a good friend to be around," says Mayor Eddie Bray.

Henderson County Mayor Eddie Bray remembers his good friend and fellow veteran Jessie Thurston as he thinks about his disappearance.

“When you think of a friend you think of someone dependable, somebody you can call and will be right there for you and Jessie was that way,” says Mayor Bray.

Authorities say Thurston's last had contact with someone on June 25th, and his family reported him missing just days after that.

And after being missing for about a week, Natchez was the place to come and search after local authorities found a big clue.

“Mr. Thurston had been driving a green 1997 alumina, that vehicle was located on July 3rd. A search was performed that day which resulted in nothing being found so we started back at 7 the next morning which was yesterday and ended up finding the body that we found,” says Tracey Grisham with the Henderson County Sheriff's Department.

Several agencies from around West Tennessee performed a ground search yesterday that began at 7 am, and ended around 11 am when a body was found.

“The body we found had been there for a while,” says Grisham.

The body is being sent to Nashville for an autopsy and identification.

But for now, they ask the community to send their prayers to Thurston's family

For 39 News, i'm Camila Rueda.