The family of Demietriek Scott, the New Orleans barbecue aficionado known as "Chef Scott" who had been missing for two weeks, was relieved when he reappeared Monday afternoon following reports that his body had been recovered earlier that day under a bridge in the Desire neighborhood.
While the reports of Scott's demise were untrue, New Orleans police did recover a man's body, and his identity remains a mystery.
The body was found about 7:14 a.m. in the 2600 block of France Street (map), the New Orleans Police Department said. Authorities called it an unclassified death.
Orleans Parish Coroner's Office officials said Tuesday that they are still working to determine his identity and cause of death.
Scott, 47, was reported missing Saturday by relatives who told police they hadn't spoken with him or seen him since May 31. His food trailer was unattended, and he missed a Zydeco Festival, an event that he had been scheduled work over the weekend, according to WWL-TV.
Though authorities never confirmed, family members told media outlets that the body found Monday on France Street was Scott.
But Scott showed up at a relative's home Monday afternoon, explaining that he had been in New Orleans the entire time.
"Life kicked me," Scott told WWL-TV. "I just needed time for me to sit around and think."
As of Tuesday morning, Scott's missing person case was still considered open, according to the NOPD.
"To officially clear a missing persons case, the detective handling the case must make contact with the subject as evidence that he has been located. We are awaiting official notification from the detective assigned to the case that this has taken place," the department said in a statement released Tuesday.