Body of missing Troy teenager Ellie Carder found in river

The body of missing Troy teenager Ellie Carder was found Sunday in the Great Miami River, Troy Police said in a social media post.

A kayaker found the body in the river, approximately two miles downstream from the Ohio 41 bridge over the river in Troy, and notified the Miami County Communication Center.

Deputies from the Miami County Sheriff’s Office, detectives and officers from the Troy Police Department and the Troy Fire Department responded to the scene.

The Troy Fire Department recovered the body from the river and it was confirmed to be Carder, 14, Troy Police said. She was reported missing Feb. 2 and last seen Jan. 31.

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“A preliminary exam of the body by the coroner’s investigator did not find any obvious signs of trauma,” Troy Police said.

The body will be transported to the Montgomery County Coroner’s office for an autopsy.

Carder, a freshman at Troy High School, was reported missing Feb. 2 by her father. During the investigation, police used video surveillance and witnesses to determine she was last seen a little after 6 p.m. Jan. 31 East Staunton Road and Michigan Avenue and headed toward the river.

Employees at Conagra Foods, 801 Dye Mill Road, had reported hearing a woman yelling outside around 9:08 p.m. Jan. 31. Police checked the area at the time, but did not hear anyone yelling or find anyone.

The morning of Feb. 6, Troy police and fire crews discovered Carder’s backpack in the river near East Main Street (state Route 41), according to police.

First responders and volunteer search and rescue teams searched for Carder throughout the month of February.

Troy City Schools officials posted Sunday that crisis counselors would be available Monday at Troy High School and the Upper Valley Career Center for any students who need help dealing with the news. The district thanked the first responders and volunteers who were involved in the search.

“We are incredibly heartbroken to hear this tragic news regarding Ellie Carder, a Troy High School student,” the school district statement said. “Our thoughts and prayers are with Ellie, her family, her friends and the entire Troy community. … Please keep all of our students in your thoughts and prayers.”