Authorities recovered a body yesterday that had been spotted in a pond near Belews Lake, about 6½ miles north of Walkertown, a Forsyth County sheriff's official told WGHP/FOX8.
The body was recovered about 7 p.m., said Maj. Brad Stanley, a spokesman for the sheriff's office. He declined to say whether the body was that of a man or a woman.
Sheriff Bill Schatzman had earlier told reporters that someone from a local store had called the sheriff's office about 2 p.m. to report that witnesses had seen a body in a pond.
Nadia White, the owner of White's Grocery at the corner of Pine Hall Road and N.C. 65, said that two men told her employee that they were looking for a place to fish when they saw the body. The men said that it appeared to be the body of a woman.
The pond is near N.C. 65, in the Pine Hall area of the Belews Creek community.
It is not accessible by boat, and authorities used all-terrain vehicles to get to the site, Schatzman said.
He said that the death is being investigated as a homicide.
"We don't know the circumstances that led up to that event," the sheriff said.
The body was floating in the water and could be seen from the shore, Schatzman said.
He said he did not know how long it had been in the pond, which appeared to be landlocked because it is surrounded by trees.
Crime-scene tape could be seen along N.C. 65 near where the body was found.
The Belews Creek community is a quiet and safe area, but crimes sometimes can occur there, White said. She added that the pond is a popular fishing spot.
Two people who lived nearby said they weren't worried about their safety even though authorities designated as a crime scene the site where the body was found.
Stephen Douglas, who lives off Pine Hall Road, said he has lived in the community for 25 years and he has never had any problems there.
Tim Oakley grew up in the Belews Creek community and still lives there.
"It is a good, friendly place," Oakley said. "There are plenty of good people. I have my children with me, and I feel safe here."
■ John Hinton can be reached at 727-7299 or at jhinton@wsjournal.com.
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