County of cemetery: Lincoln County
Location of cemetery: MO-B & Straight St., West limits, Elsberry
Number of graves: 3,380
"UPDATE: 3:59 p.m.
"According to Lincoln County Coroner Kelly Walters the body exhumed today at the Elsberry City Cemetery could be the body of Rex Lee Douglas of Boulder County, Colorado, who went missing January 30, 1984.
"The body, according to a July 5, 1984 edition of The Elsberry Democrat, was found in a pumphouse on a farm on June 11, 1984 in northeastern Lincoln County. The body was decomposed and was a male of medium build between 35 and 45 years of age about 6 feet in height. He was dressed sharply and authorities suspected foul play. He had been dead from four to 10 months.
"According to Walters, she had updated some information on a website that triggered the possibility that the John Doe buried in the Elsberry City Cemetery may be Douglas.
"This morning with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation the body was exhumed and DNA samples will be taken to see if the body is in fact Douglas.
"More information will be reported as we get it.
"UPDATE: 1:50 p.m.
"The Elsberry City Cemetery as been opened up and is available to the public. The situation that started this morning was overseen by The Lincoln County Sheriff’s office with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation. At this time we have only heard rumors and have a call in to the St. Louis Office of the FBI. When we receive more factual information it will be provided.
"All entrances to the Elsberry City Cemetery are currently sealed off and have been for most of the morning by law enforcement personnel.
"A number of law enforcement vehicles are now on the scene.
"Nobody is being allowed inside and they are currently not issuing any statements to the media.
"A reporter at the scene was able to get close enough to see that a burial site within the cemetery was being prepared for what he believed to be an exhumation.
"No other information is currently available.
"The Elsberry Democrat will post all facts as they come in."
~ The Elsberry Democrat, October 14, 2015