Missing Baytown Officer Found Dead

BAYTOWN, TX -- A Baytown Police officer who was reported missing by his family last week has been found dead from an apparent suicide, officials announced Tuesday. Search and rescue personnel from TEXSAR were searching by helicopter, and found the body of John Stewart Beasley's body in a field less than a mile from his home.

The news of the tragedy shook investigators who considered Beasley a close friend and a brother. Lt. Steve Dorris, who'd worked with Beasley for 20 years, was visibly upset.

"It's a tragedy," Dorris said. "We lost a brother. We lost somebody that we love, and as a profession, a law enforcement profession, we lost a very good representative. He's going to be sorely missed by a lot of people."

Beasley, who was a 23-year veteran of the Baytown Police Department, left his home through the backdoor at about 3:30 p.m. last Thursday. His son came home an hour later and when he couldn't find his father, began making calls to friends. Beasley was reported missing by his wife several hours later.

Chambers County Sheriff Brian Hawthorne said Monday that he didn't suspect foul play, and held out hope that Beasley was still alive.

An autopsy has been ordered by Chambers County Justice of the Peace Larry Cryer, which will determine the time of death, Hawthorne said.

"Every person in that neighborhood knew Stewart, liked Stewart. They enjoyed having a police officer live in their community," Hawthorne added. "It's a loss for all of us. I lost a friend, so I am personally touched by this."

Dorris said he never saw any signs of depression on Beasley, and he was not working cases on anything that might lead one to consider taking their life.

"We do have mechanisms for our officers to get help if they need it, unfortunately in this business we are hard-headed to that," Dorris said. "We are cops, and we're supposed to stand in the face of evil. Sometimes it's hard to admit that we have a problem."

Beasley leaves behind a wife and a son.

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