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NATCHEZ — No Silver Alert was ever issued for a disabled man whose body was found more than 24 hours from the time he disappeared from a group home in Natchez, leading many who knew him to question what had happened.

Ezekiel Conner, 41, who was well-liked by his community, was found deceased in a 12-foot ravine on Laurel Hill Drive on Monday morning, about a quarter mile from where he lived.

“When I say the ball was dropped, it was dropped all around,” said Tammy Davis, who knew Conner from working with him as a support person. “I worked with him for five years and he was like family to me. I need answers.”

Conner was a resident of an assisted living facility on Hurricane Road with other vulnerable adults called Brandi’s Hope.

Natchez Police Chief Cal Green confirmed that no Silver Alert had ever been issued for Conner and that the Criminal Investigation Division, which issues Silver Alerts, had never been contacted by Natchez police when his disappearance was initially reported on the morning of Sunday, March 2.

Green said it seems a substantial amount of time had lapsed before police were notified that Conner went missing, but how much time remains unclear. Adams County 911 received a call about a missing person at 6:55 a.m. on Hurricane Road, records show.

An autopsy will further determine what caused Conners death and how long he had been deceased before his body was discovered in the ravine on Laurel Hill Drive on Monday morning, she said.

“We’re still in the process of figuring out where the ball dropped, but what we do know is that this cannot be allowed to happen again, ever,” Green said.

Green, who was not at work during the incident on Sunday, said patrol officers had gone searching for Conner assisted by Adams County Search and Rescue.

“They came back out on Monday and continued with the effort,” she said.

Davis said she, too, had searched with a civilian search party but didn’t go near the ravine on Sunday because it was private property, she said.

Drones were also used to search for Conner, as was Walter Mackel, an EMT who is also a former deputy, with his dog.

Adrian Johnson, who was part of the search party, ultimately found Conner’s body on Laurel Hill Drive, she said.

Coroner James Lee said he could not confirm how Conner had gotten into the ravine, but “a few scratches on him that didn’t look to be severe” indicated he might have fallen. Lee also said that when the body was found there were no indicators of foul play.

The cause of death at this time is unclear without an autopsy, which has been approved by the State Crime Lab, Lee said.

“It could be a year or more before we have a written report but a lot of times if something is off, they will give a verbal report,” he said. “That could take a day or two or a week, it just depends on when they get it from the pathologist.”