Missing man’s body found in crashed car
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CRAIGHEAD COUNTY, Ark. (KAIT) - A nearly three-week-long search for a missing Kennett man ended Friday morning when deputies found his wrecked car.

On March 14, Craighead County sheriff’s deputies discovered Miguel Rivera’s vehicle flipped over in a deep ravine on County Road 751 just south of County Road 718 north of Jonesboro.

Rivera’s family reported him missing to the Kennett Police Department on Sunday, Feb. 23, saying he was last seen in Craighead County. On Feb. 27, a search team met with Rivera’s family, who said he was seen driving home from a party in Craighead County and then heading back to a house he shared with his father.

A search began on March 1, with more than 120 people involved in the search, including 185 units of law enforcement and 51 participating private organizations. The search was suspended on March 22, and findings were released on Thursday, March 25.

The search was terminated by a judge who ruled Rivera’s actions were consistent with his character.

Deputies used GPS to track Rivera’s vehicle. When the car was found, Rivera was unalive but wearing his seatbelt. His vehicle was found with two keys attached. He was wearing a jacket with his phone and wallet.

The search in Craighead County was terminated and Rivera’s body found in eight miles of the Eighth Mile Creek, where he was reportedly killed by a heavy rain and strong winds. Police said Rivera’s vehicle was driven into the water.

The body was transported to the Craighead County morgue for autopsy. In his autopsy report, the coroner said the cause of death was blunt force trauma.

The sheriff’s office said Rivera was not the only person involved.

A statewide search was conducted by the Arkansas State Police and the Arkansas Highway Patrol.

**Sources:** Arkansas State Police, Arkansas Highway Patrol.

**Byline:** Kait News Desk

**Published:** Mar. 14, 2025 at 3:02 PM CDT

**Updated:** 22 hours ago
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