The body pulled from a northern Indiana lake on Sunday is that of missing Kalamazoo doctor Teleka Patrick, Indiana State Police confirmed Wednesday.
During a news conference today, Kalamazoo County Sheriff Richard Fuller said it appeared that Patrick accidentally drowned in Lake Charles in Porter, In, although toxicology results were needed to confirm that.
Sheriff Fuller says they believe Patrick left Kalamazoo of her own free will on December 5th. They believe she may have been on her way to St. Louis to see an old friend who she had reached out to in the past. It was initially thought she was headed to Chicago.
According to authorities, Patrick drove to Indiana, became lost and then somehow ended up in the lake. Car keys, a pager and the $100 a co-worker gave her on December 5th were also recovered at the lake, according to Fuller.
The sheriff hopes this can bring some closure to the case and the family. The Indiana coroner who conducted the autopsy on Patrick’s body did not find any obvious signs or trauma, and foul play is not expected, Fuller said.
Officials are still waiting on toxicology results, but Sheriff Fuller said they don’t believe the results will reveal anything new.
Family members believe Patrick was likely suffering from an undiagnosed mental illness. After she disappeared, news broke that Patrick had been stalking Gospel singer and pastor Marvin Sapp.
Sapp, who is based in Grand Rapids, said Patrick joined his church, contacted his children, and came to his home. Sapp filed an order of protection against Patrick.
