DISCOV ery Body found on beach is man from Peabody

GrIM

After ‘double take,’ woman walking dog ran to call police

BY WILLIAM J. DOWD, LEIGH BLANDER AND KRIS OLSON

A body discovered on a beach at the end of Edgemere Road on Salem Harbor on Thursday, Jan. 26 was identified two days later as that of a missing Peabody man, authorities announced.

The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner confirmed the body was that of Michael Gray, 31, of Peabody, Essex County District Attorney Paul F. Tucker, Marblehead Police Chief Dennis King, Salem Police Chief Lucas Miller and Peabody Police Chief Thomas Griffin confirmed in a joint statement issued Jan. 28.

Gray’s family reported him missing on Dec. 11. A day later, investigators found some articles of clothing connected to Gray on Juniper Beach in Salem. In January, State Police and local dive teams searched for Gray over several days in the water off the Salem beach.

Marblehead resident Ellie Tomlinson found the body around 4 p.m. while walking her golden retriever. Her waterfront house sits abuts the beach entrance where she discovered the body, across Salem Harbor from the area previously searched.

When Tomlinson came across the body, she thought it was a Halloween decoration.