Girl’s body found in Jordan River, blood nearby
In a Sunday, March 11, 2012 photo, police investigate a body found in the Jordan River off of the Jordan River Parkway on 12300 south in Draper, Utah. Draper police say they're investigating the discovery of a girl's body in the Jordan River as a homicide. (AP Photo/Salt lake Tribune, Kim Raff)
In a Sunday, March 11, 2012 photo, Police investigate blood found in connection with a body found in the Jordan River off of the Jordan River Parkway on 12300 south in Draper, Utah. Draper police say they're investigating the discovery of a girl's body in the Jordan River as a homicide. (AP Photo/Salt lake Tribune, Kim Raff)
In a Sunday, March 11, 2012 photo, police investigate a body found in the Jordan River off of the Jordan River Parkway on 12300 south in Draper, Utah. Draper police say they're investigating the discovery of a girl's body in the Jordan River as a homicide. (AP Photo/Salt lake Tribune, Kim Raff)
DRAPER — Police on Monday identified a teen whose body was found in the Jordan River and said her death is being investigated as a suspicious.
Draper police said the girl’s body recovered Sunday afternoon was 15-year-old Anne Kasprzak of Riverton.
She was found hours after a passer-by noticed blood along a river trail, Draper police Sgt. Chad Carpenter said. Police found a shoe close to the blood and began a search, he said.
The teen’s body was discovered downriver by a helicopter, Carpenter said. A Salt Lake County Search and Rescue dive team recovered her remains.
The girl was identified after her mother contacted police following news reports about the discovery.
Carpenter said the girl was last seen Saturday by her mother, who reported her missing. Police are trying to determine the circumstances surrounding her death.
Although there have been assaults on joggers along river trails in other parts of the state, Carpenter said this did not appear to be a random attack.
“I think this is an isolated incident with this young girl,” he said. “I don’t think it has anything to do with the trail.”
Carpenter said there were injuries to the girl’s body, but he wouldn’t elaborate, the Salt Lake Tribune reported (http://bit.ly/xcMuJF).
An autopsy was performed Monday morning but police had not yet learned the cause of death or whether it was deemed a homicide, Carpenter said. He characterized the death only as “suspicious” and declined to discuss any leads.
Kasprzak was a freshman at Summit Academy high school in Bluffdale, the Tribune reported. As classes ended Monday, some students cried and hugged in the hallway.
“It’s been a long, sad day,” Principal Steve Crandall told the newspaper. He described Kasprzak as a “normal kid” with a close group of friends.
Crandall said school staff went classroom-to-classroom Monday to announce the girl’s death and tell students that grief counseling was available.
“Her friends are having the hardest time,” he said.