Family IDs man whose body was found in river at Riverbank's Jacob Myers Park

The body found the afternoon of June 23 in the Stanislaus River in Riverbank has been identified as John Gerard Denys, who was last heard from more than a year ago, his daughter said.

"I am heartbroken to say that the body found in the river was positively identified as my dad," Ashley Baldonado posted on her Facebook page Thursday afternoon. "Please keep my family in your prayers as we go through this most difficult time."

A Stanislaus Area Crime Stoppers post said Denys had been considered missing since May 5, 2017, after last being heard from nearly a month before. The then-47-year-old was transient but typically spoke with family members every other day, according to Riverbank Police Services.

"For the last 15 months, we have been searching every place we could think to find him, including the river on multiple occasions," Baldonado wrote on a gofundme.com page set up to raise money for funeral expenses. "We heard many things along the way, things that further crushed our spirits. We have been through a roller coaster of emotions and experiences. Even still we have always held on to some glimmer of hope."

As of Friday morning, the Stanislaus County Sheriff's Department had not yet publicly confirmed the identity of the man whose body was found by a security guard near the river shoreline on the south side of Jacob Myers Park. No information has been released on cause of death.

His daughter told The Bee he was ID'd through dental records. Family long has believed his disappearance, and now death, to be suspicious, Baldonado said.

From the beginning, homicide detectives have been on the case, she said, and a rumor has circulated that he was buried at the river's edge. "We have searched the river on multiple occasions without success," Baldonado said. "The unfortunate part is that we have been asking for cadaver dogs at the river for the last 15 months but our requests were denied. He was found with clothing and shoes on. He was not swimming."

On gofundme, she wrote that her father "was always so giving, even when he had nothing. He loved to make everyone laugh and smile. He was a father of three and a grandfather of eight, including a granddaughter who he never got to meet."

This story was originally published June 29, 2018 at 9:03 AM.