Sheriff’s office finds body believed to be of man who was missing for weeks

FRANKLIN COUNTY, VA – The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office located a body that is believed to be of a man who was missing for weeks.

Sunday at approximately 3:30 p.m., the body of a deceased male was found in a wooded area that leads down to a creek, not far from Keith Perdue’s home.

The sheriff’s office says preliminary identification of the body leads to Perdue, based on identification cards located inside clothing.

According to authorities, no foul play is suspected at this time, pending results from the medical examiner’s office.

Any additional information will be released as it comes available.

FEBRUARY 18 UPDATE

FRANKLIN COUNTY, VA – Continued efforts are underway by the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office to locate information regarding the whereabouts of Keith Perdue.

Investigators are attempting to retrieve any details from cell phone and financial records for Perdue that may narrow down his interactions over the last two weeks.

Searches are continuing in the Muddy Fork Road area around both his residence and the wreck location.

The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office is looking for any information on Perdue since February 2 and are also interested in speaking with the two males that assisted him after his vehicle accident.

FEBRUARY 16 UPDATE

FRANKLIN COUNTY, VA – Search efforts on February 15 in the Muddy Fork area were unsuccessful in locating Keith Bentford Perdue.

New information provided from a passerby vehicle near the vehicle accident states that they left a Superbowl Party at the third quarter on February 2 and came upon a car sitting in the road with the lights on.

Passerby stopped and spoke with two white males in an unknown vehicle.

Males stated that the victim wrecked his car and they had taken him back home, that he was fine, but realized upon arrival to his home that his house keys were still in his vehicle.

Males stated that they returned to the wrecked vehicle to retrieve the keys, but the passerby did not see the males enter the victim’s vehicle nor did they see the victim.

Passerby proceeded to leave and saw the males pull their vehicle into the victim’s driveway.

The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office is interested in speaking with the two males that assisted Perdue back to his home on that night.

ORIGINAL

FRANKLIN COUNTY, VA – On February 14 at approximately 09:24 a.m., a family member reported Keith Bentford Perdue missing to the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office after she was unable to make contact with him for the past two weeks.

A wellbeing check was done at his residence, but he was not located.

Perdue was last seen at Walmart in Rocky Mount on February 2, confirmed via store video surveillance.

A motor vehicle accident was reported by a passerby on February 2 in the 1000 block of Muddy Fork Road.

A vehicle registered to Perdue was recovered in that accident, but he was not in the vehicle.

Perdue has a history of health conditions that are a cause of concern for his disappearance.

According to the sheriff’s office, there is currently no evidence indicating foul play, however, it is very unusual for Perdue to be gone this long without contacting his family.

On February 15, members of the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office and the Franklin County Department of Public Safety began a search of the Muddy Fork area in attempts to locate Perdue.