Alamance County Man Found Dead Near Snow Camp After Week-Long Search

The body of William Calice Cooper III, 39, of Alamance County was found in a field near Moon Lindley Road in the northwestern part of Chatham County on Wednesday, March 18, the Chatham County Sheriff's Office announced Thursday. A resident doing agricultural work on the property discovered Cooper, and investigators believe he is the same man who fled from deputies into a nearby wooded area six days earlier.

The chain of events began March 12, when deputies responded to a call about a suspicious person in the same general area near Snow Camp. "The individual fled on foot into a wooded area before deputies arrived," the sheriff's office said in its Thursday release. "Deputies searched for approximately an hour but were unable to locate him at that time." Cooper was not found that day.

Six days later, the agricultural worker's discovery prompted an identification effort that the sheriff's office completed within 24 hours. "Based on the location and other factors, investigators believe the individual who fled on March 12 and the man found deceased on March 18 are the same person," the release stated.

The sheriff's office said the death does not appear to be suspicious and there are no signs of foul play. Cause of death has not been determined; the office is working with the North Carolina Office of the Chief Medical Examiner to establish what happened. The release offered no detail on what specific factors, beyond the proximity of the location, led investigators to connect the two incidents.

The sheriff's office stated that "there is no on-going threat to the community" as the investigation continues.