Community Corner

Christopher Marks Dead; Missing Affton Boy Found in Meramec River

Christopher Marks, the 12-year-old Affton boy who went missing during an outing at the Pacific Palisades Conservation Area, has died, police say.

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Christopher Marks, the 12-year-old boy whose disappearance at the Meramec River Sunday night captivated thousands across the country, was found dead late Tuesday afternoon, according to the St. Louis County Police.

Police said the body was found by Todd Combs—Christopher’s stepfather and the only adult supervising the outing of about seven children—at the Allenton boat ramp access, about six miles east of where Christopher was last seen on a rope swing over the Meramec River in the Pacific Palisades Conservation Area.

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Alcohol was present, and family members said Christopher had been drinking.

Police brought teams of divers, bloodhounds and walkers to search the river and rugged terrain where he was last seen but found no clues to his whereabouts.

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While it seems highly unlikely that the currents were fast enough to transport the body, police officers are still circling the air and trying to determine the speed of the currents.

Experts said the river's current near where Christopher was last seen was not very strong because of the lack of rain. 

Police will do a reconstruction of events as part of the investigation.

The autopsy should show a time of death and possible other clues as to the cause of death. The time of death could help police understand whether the body was transported by water or by other means.

Christopher was enrolled to attend Rogers Middle School in Affton as a seventh grader.  He would have turned 13-years-old on September 21.

Christopher’s great-aunt Donna Sherman, of Sunset Hills, said he and his twin sister, Anna-Marie, have shared a twin telepathy since they were young.

“They were nothing alike, but they felt one another’s pain,” Sherman said. “Anna-Marie felt Chris last night, but today she’s just feeling empty.”

Despite that chilling premonition, Christopher’s family held out hopes that he simply left or ran away from the scene. He was a Boy Scout and enjoyed swimming. He’d also learned how to survive in the wilderness.

Christopher’s grandmother, Lisa Miskimon, posted on Patch to thank the Affton community for their support.

“This is the most horrible thing my family has gone through, and I would like to thank all of the wonderful people in our hometown for all their prayers and all the comments that are posted here,” she said.

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