Body Found off of Mansfield Road Identified

Caddo Parish authorities have identified a man found dead near a bridge off of Mansfield Road late last week.

Sheriff Steve Prator says the body of 51-year-old Russell "Rusty" Carter Smith, Jr., was spotted by a student on a school bus that was headed down Mansfield Road.

According to a news release, Smith's 2004 Chevy Impala was towed January 2 after it got stuck in the mud just off the roadway. His family clamied the car days later from Reynold's Wrecker Service, but didn't file a missing persons report. They said it was not uncommon for Smith to take off for periods of time without notice.

An official cause of death hasn't been determined, but foul play is not suspected.