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NATCHEZ — Natchez police have ruled the death of a woman whose body was found in the Mississippi River on Thursday a suicide.

The body of a 39-year-old woman was found on Thursday by barge operators on the Mississippi River about 15 miles South of the Natchez bridge.

Adams County Sheriff Travis Patten said Natchez police received a missing person report from a family and the woman’s description matched the remains found.

The sheriff’s office then turned the investigation over to Natchez police, he said.

Natchez Police Chief Joseph Daughtry said the family had messages from the woman that led investigators to believe her death was a suicide.

“My heart goes out to the family and to the first responders who assisted in the recovery effort,” Daughtry said. “Working in New Orleans, I had to work a lot of jobs like this and it doesn’t get any easier.”

Daughtry added he hopes state and local leaders would put more attention and funds toward providing much-needed mental health services.