Missouri ER doctor found dead in lake had suffered gunshot wound

Family said Dr John Forsyth had claimed he was mysteriously kidnapped and released in 2022

A missing Missouri ER doctor who was found dead in an Arkansas lake had suffered an apparent gunshot wound, say officials.

Dr John Forsyth, 49, disappeared on 21 May after a shift at a hospital in the Ozarks just days after proposing to his fiancee. His body showed up nine days later in Beaver Lake in Arkansas.

A kayaker found the body of the father of seven on Tuesday afternoon in Benton County, the county sheriff’s department said in a statement.

Investigators have not said if the gunshot wound was self-inflicted or caused by another person and an investigation into the death is underway. Autopsy results are still pending.

Forsyth’s vehicle was found unlocked with his wallet, two phones, a laptop and other items inside, his family have said. Police have said that there were no signs of foul play.

Dr Forsyth’s body was found in a lake on Tuesday (Facebook)

The doctor’s brother, Richard Forsyth, told Fox News Digital that his brother had claimed he was kidnapped and released without harm in February 2022.

“There’s no way he killed himself,” Richard told the outlet. “Many times he mentioned he might be in danger.”

And he added about the claim: “It was cold. He was zip-tied. He was made to feel very unsafe and taken on a car ride with some people to a bridge and was threatened.”

Mr Forsyth said that no police report was ever filed and that he only found out about it from a friend on the night his brother went missing.

“He did not file a police report because he believed he was in continued danger,” Richard Forsyth said.

Forsyth had worked as a doctor at the Cassville hospital for about 15 years.

The family says that Forsyth had reached a divorce settlement with his wife on 11 May that paid her $19,000 per month in alimony and child support, but stated that the couple had an amicable relationship after their split.

Cassville Police Detective Stuart Lombard has said that Forsyth texted his fiancee at 7am saying that he would see her in “a little bit” and then stopped responding.