Arkansas Judge Found Dead at Bottom of Lake, Community ‘Heartbroken’

The body of an Arkansas judge was recovered from a lake on Sunday after he went missing.

Forty-eight-year-old Jeremiah T. Bueker, the Arkansas County Northern District judge, had been enjoying time with loved ones in Jefferson County when he left the group and went somewhere alone, NBC News reported Monday.

No one saw or heard from him after a while, and concern for his safety prompted the group to begin a search, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office said in a press release.

“Bueker was last seen near Mud Lake, which channels into the Arkansas River just north of Achorn Drive in Reydell, Arkansas. Unable to immediately locate Bueker and well past sunset, Bueker’s Family called 9-1-1,” the agency continued:

Jefferson County Sheriff’s Deputies were dispatched by the Metropolitan Emergency Communications Association (MECA) just before midnight and immediately responded.  Upon arrival, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office Marine Patrol, joined wildlife officers with the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission began an extensive ground and water search.  Boats were deployed to aid in the search of Bueker. The continued well into the early morning before both ground and water searches were suspended due to low visibility.

Not long after sunrise, officials continued looking for the man at Mud Lake. At approximately 9:00 a.m., a side-scan sonar showed a body at the bottom of the lake.

Deputies used recovery drag/rescue hooks to pull the body from the water. Later, officials and family members positively identified the deceased as Bueker.

Sheriff Woods later stated, “I truly pray that the successful recovery of Judge Bueker’s body by our deputies and Arkansas Game & Fish Wildlife Officers brings some sense of closure to the Bueker Family and those who knew him best. The scour of emotions they must feel right now is devastating.”

The death was being investigated as an accidental drowning, but the body would be transported to the State Medical Examiner to undergo an autopsy.

Bueker was also known as “Jeremy” to residents of Stuttgart, according to the Stuttgart Daily Leader.

Mayor Norma Strabala said she and community members felt “shocked and heartbroken.”

“Jeremy was an important and special person in this community, serving as a good friend, fierce attorney, and as Arkansas County Northern District Judge for nearly a decade,” she commented. “I am praying for Sunny (Bueker’s wife), his family and this community as we mourn this tragic loss.”