By: Tammy Curtis, Managing Editor

Cherokee Village police chief Monte Lane confirmed that on Tuesday May 16,the body of a man who had been reported missing late Saturday night, May 14, and was located in lake Cherokee around noon was identified as that of 35 year-old Derek Hughes. The body was recovered and sent to the Arkansas State Crime Laboratory for an autopsy to determine the cause of death. Hughes was last seen by witnesses leaving the Copper Feather Bar and Grille intoxicated. It is unclear whether Hughes left on foot or in a vehicle. The death is currently under investigation. The last ping of Hughes’ phone was near the Copper Feather. The Sharp County Sheriff’s Department is assisting in the investigation. Hughes had a previous Tennessee address but was listed as living on Griffin Road in Hardy