Perry County deputies seek tips in Saddle Lake death investigation

Perry County deputies are asking anyone who was at Saddle Lake overnight or lives nearby to help fill in the missing pieces of a death investigation that began after a body was found near the boat ramp on Memorial Day morning. Investigators want tips about a gray truck and any video from home security cameras that may have captured the vehicle between the nighttime hours of May 24 and the early morning hours of May 25.

The first 911 call came in about 7:15 a.m. on May 25, and the victim was later identified as 43-year-old Anthony Evrard of Tell City. Authorities have said there is no evidence of an active threat to public safety in the Perry County or Tell City areas, but the case remains open as investigators work to establish who was in the area and what happened before dawn at the remote recreation site in Hoosier National Forest.

Saddle Lake Recreation Area is not a developed park. The U.S. Forest Service describes it as a remote location with a primitive campground, a boat ramp and a hiking trail, and says it is one of four flood-control lakes tied to the Middle Fork of the Anderson River. That setting makes the lake a draw for anglers, campers and hikers, but it also means a few small details, such as a vehicle passing a driveway or a light on a camera, could matter as detectives try to reconstruct the overnight timeline.

Multiple agencies have been involved, including the Perry County Sheriff’s Office, Perry County Coroner’s Office, Indiana State Police, Indiana Department of Natural Resources, the U.S. Forest Service and the FBI. Investigators have sent recovered evidence to the FBI Laboratory in Quantico, Virginia, and have also sought Evrard’s recent cell phone records and social media accounts. Evrard’s vehicle was found parked near the boat ramp and secured for forensic search.

An autopsy was completed on Thursday, but the cause and manner of death remained undetermined while officials waited for lab and toxicology results. Investigators have not named a suspect.

Evrard graduated from Tell City High School, attended Ball State University and the University of Louisville, and worked for Pilot as a fuel transport truck driver. Family and obituary information described him as an avid outdoorsman who enjoyed hiking, video games and country music. He is survived by a fiancée, Sasha Patel, and her son, Jackson.

Deputies said even small observations could help narrow the sequence of events around the lake. Anyone with information is asked to contact Tell City Dispatch at 812-547-7068.