Demietriek Scott, a well known local chef with a penchant for barbecue, returned to his family Monday afternoon, hours after he had been reported missing and at least one family member said he had been identified as the person found dead that morning in the Desire area.
"Life kicked me," said Scott. "I just needed time for me to sit around and think."
Scott said that he had been in New Orleans the entire time but needed some time to himself. His family had grown worried because no one had been in contact with him since May 31 and his food trailer had been left unattended. He also missed a major festival over the weekend where he was scheduled to cook.
Early Monday a body was found in an industrial area in the Desire neighborhood. A short time later, following reports on several media outlets, his daughter told Eyewitness News that the body found Monday was his.
The coroner's office, however, said an official report was pending analysis of evidence, including fingerprints.
Other family members said that they weren't sure of Scott's fate, but were concerned because he missed a major event this past weekend, was unreachable since late May and left food unattended in his trailer for an extended period of time.
Scott was supposed to be a vendor at this weekend’s Zydeco Fest, but event organizers told the family he didn’t confirm and didn’t show.