A person was found dead this morning, Nov. 5, in the 3100 block of Hwy. 61 in the R-7 area south of Festus, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office reported.
Deputies were called at about 9 a.m. and located the person, spokesman Grant Bissell said.
He said the Sheriff’s Office is investigating the case, and the department does not believe anyone in the area is at risk.
Authorities have not identified the person who was found dead, and they have not provided information about a possible cause of death.
The Jefferson R-7 School District implemented a soft lockdown at 9:39 a.m. today after the body was found, and the soft lockdown ended at 10:03 a.m. after the district was contacted again by the Sheriff’s Office, Superintendent David Haug said in a statement.
An email from Haug said schools continued to operate as normal, students remained in their assigned buildings, and visitors were not permitted to enter buildings during the soft lockdown.
Haug’s statement said there was no immediate threat to the Jefferson R-7 campus, and the soft lockdown was implemented out of an abundance of caution.
“The safety of our students and staff remains the district’s top priority,” Haug said in the statement. “We appreciate the cooperation and understanding of our students, staff, families and community. We also extend our thanks to the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office for their response, communication and continued efforts to keep our community safe.”
The Leader will update this story as information becomes available.