Body found amid search for missing Liberty Co. 22-year-old

LIBERTY COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) -- A body was found amid an ongoing search for missing 22-year-old Nathan Allen Heathco in Liberty County who was last seen walking away after a car crash.

On Sunday morning, a fisherman found the body of a white man lying near a tributary that leads into the Trinity River near Private Road 442 in south Liberty County, according to the Liberty County Sheriff's Office.

The fisherman told deputies the body was found lying on the bank of a wooded area near the tributary and behind a private residence. This area was beyond the search perimeter covered by Texas EquuSearch during their search for Heathco on Friday.

Investigators have not yet identified the body as Heathco, but an autopsy has been ordered.

According to the Liberty County Sheriff's Office, on Tuesday, Jan. 12, Heathco was driving on FM 1409 to visit a friend.

Deputies say Heathco's vehicle left the road and crashed into a ditch in the 8700 block of FM 1409 around 4 a.m.

Deputies responded to the scene due to an abandoned vehicle call, but by the time they arrived, Heathco was gone. Family members say he hasn't been seen since.

Investigators believe Heathco may have been injured in the crash.

Across the street from the crash site, security cameras at the ESD #3 Volunteer Fire Department captured Heathco walking to a nearby store and then south on FM 1409.

His family filed a missing person report shortly after and LCSO began an investigation.

Over 30 Texas Equusearch volunteers met at the Liberty County ESD #3 Volunteer Fire Dept. in Dayton Friday morning to begin a ground search for Heathco.

According to officials, Heathco was last seen wearing a green camo jacket, a black long-sleeved shirt, jeans and brown and green cowboy boots.

Investigators say Heathco has "Dirty" tattooed on the back of his left leg, and "South" tattooed on the right leg. He also has the tattoo of "praying hands" on the back of his right shoulder, and the name "Cassidy" tattooed in the rib area of his right side.

If you have any information on Heathco's whereabouts, investigators ask you call the Liberty County Sheriff's Office at (936) 336-4500 or Texas EquuSearch at (281) 309-9500.