Hope Police Identify Man Found Deceased in Wooded Area on Fourth of July

The Hope Police Department has identified the individual whose body was discovered in a wooded area on the Fourth of July.

According to authorities, the Arkansas State Crime Laboratory identified the deceased as 32-year-old Clay Ludlow of Smithville, Oklahoma.

Police said Ludlow had not been reported missing prior to the discovery.

The body was found on Saturday, July 4, after a citizen cleaning property in a wooded area contacted the Hope Police Department to report finding what appeared to be a deceased person. Officers and detectives responded to the scene and confirmed the discovery. The remains were later transported to the Arkansas State Crime Laboratory for identification and further examination.

The Hope Police Department and the Arkansas State Crime Laboratory continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding why Ludlow was in Hope, as well as the cause and manner of his death.

Authorities say the investigation remains ongoing, and additional information will be released as it becomes available.