The body of a missing 18-year-old U.S. dependent was found by British police on RAF Lakenheath Saturday.
Matthew Strasbaugh, the son of an airman stationed at RAF Mildenhall, was last seen Tuesday, Suffolk police said in a statement.
“Officers, assisted by members of Suffolk Lowland Search and Rescue conducted a search of the area and a body of a man was later located within the base at RAF Lakenheath,” the police said.
An investigation is ongoing to determine the cause of death, but Suffolk detectives do not believe there are any suspicious circumstances involved, according to their statement.
Mildenhall and Lakenheath are separated by a roughly 15 minute drive.
“We are deeply saddened this tragic loss has occurred, and thank the Suffolk Constabulary for their tremendous search and recovery efforts,” Col. Will Marshall, 48th Fighter Wing commander, said in a statement.
“On behalf of our entire Liberty Wing community, we offer our sincerest condolences to the Strasbaugh family and our neighbors at RAF Mildenhall," Marshall added.
Officials did not say where Strasbaugh was found on RAF Lakenheath, a base that hosts U.S. airmen but is owned by the British Royal Air Force.
Strasbaugh reportedly left home Nov. 13 around midday to go shopping, but he did not return and couldn’t be located. Suffolk Lowland Search and Rescue began scanning RAF Lakenheath over the weekend after “initial search efforts were unsuccessful,” according to the British police statement.
Kyle Rempfer was an editor and reporter who has covered combat operations, criminal cases, foreign military assistance and training accidents. Before entering journalism, Kyle served in U.S. Air Force Special Tactics and deployed in 2014 to Paktika Province, Afghanistan, and Baghdad, Iraq.
