Police ID body recovered Friday from the Red Cedar River as Brendan Santo
Mark Johnson
EAST LANSING — Michigan State University police say a body recovered from the Red Cedar River Friday has been positively identified as Brendan Santo, who's been missing since Oct. 29.
A medical examiner positively identified the body as Santo based on dental records, according to an email from MSU police Inspector Chris Rozman on Saturday.
On Friday, a private investigator helped lead authorities to the body submerged in the Red Cedar River about a mile-and-a-half downriver from where Santo was last seen and near the Lansing and Lansing Township border.
Ryan Robison, a private investigator, had been working with the family of Santo, an 18-year-old Grand Valley State University student who disappeared from the MSU campus on Oct. 29. While reviewing underwater video, Robison found what he suspected was Santo's body submerged in the river at a logjam.
After sharing his findings with Santo's family, Robison alerted authorities. Police recovered the body at about 12:30 p.m. Friday.
READ MORE: MSU police find body believed to be missing teen Brendan Santo in Red Cedar River
Police do not believe foul play was involved in Santo's death, nor do they believe Santo wished to hurt himself.
Santo, of Rochester Hills, was visiting friends during MSU-University of Michigan football game weekend. He was last seen leaving MSU’s Yakeley Hall on foot before midnight Oct. 29.
Contact Mark Johnson at 517-377-1026 or at majohnson2@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter at @ByMarkJohnson.