Police believe body found in North Austin is 75-year-old missing veteran

AUSTIN, Texas - A body found in North Austin Wednesday morning is believed to be 75-year-old missing veteran Paull Patterson, the Austin Police Department (APD) said.

Police said a body was found in the 12600 block of N Mopac Expressway SB.

FOX 7 Austin reporter Shannon Ryan spoke with the daughter of missing 75-year-old Paull Patterson. The daughter was told by police the body they found in North Austin matches the description of her father.

Police say on Nov. 6, Patterson followed a staff member out the door at Colonial Gardens Memory Care facility.

"Mr. Patterson was reported to be very physically capable and could walk up to two miles at a time," Austin Police Asst. Chief Jerry Bauzon said.

Bauzon says the facility did their own search when they found out he was missing and then called police seven hours later.

Detectives searched the nearby area for days and a Silver Alert went out. On Tuesday, they got information that Patterson was on his way to New Mexico, so they expanded the Silver Alert to include New Mexico.

On Wednesday, someone called 911 saying they found a body.

"The citizen had been searching for multiple days in an attempt to locate Mr. Patterson," Bauzon said. "The location the body was found was within feet of the areas previously searched by Search and Rescue and our detectives and Mr. Patterson's family. This indicates it was possible Mr. Patterson was mobile at the time of the earlier searches."

"The investigation into Mr. Patterson's whereabouts was extensive and resource-heavy, but we want to ensure all of you that we will work tirelessly to find your loved ones when called upon," Bauzon said.

Police are still working to ID the body. An autopsy is pending.

This is an ongoing investigation.