TOWN OF PORTER - A sad conclusion in the search for a missing Milton man came Friday morning when Allen Brown was found dead in the Town of Porter.
Accord-ing to a Rock County Sheriff's Department news release, Brown's 2013 Ford Explorer was found partially submerged in Badfish Creek near Wisconsin 59 and Riley Road. Deputies found Brown, 80, on the creek bank near the vehicle.
Brown was reported missing by his family on Jan. 7 after he never returned home from a luncheon with a friend in Monticello. He was last seen leaving Monticello at 1:30 p.m. that day.
Preliminary investigation has found that Brown was possibly eastbound on Wis. 59 towards Milton when he crossed the centerline, entered the ditch and went into the creek. Brown appears to have exited the vehicle to the creek bank where his body was found.
The vehicle was discovered by somebody checking hunting traps, as the vehicle could not be seen from the roadway due to the steep embankment.
Milton Police Chief Daniel Layber said he can't definitively say how long Brown's body may have been there.
"It looks like he'd been there for a long time," Layber said. "It's just tragic that the family was getting tortured for nine days, waiting to hear back from their dad."
Layber said parts to the vehicle were located on the opposite side of the river, leading him to speculate that the river could have been frozen over when the vehicle left the roadway. He said the vehicle and Brown were found about 30 to 40 feet north of a bridge along Wis. 59.
"It's just one of those tragic things, at the wrong spot in a rural area; if he would have gone off the road in Monroe or Milton, you know someone would have helped him," Layber said.
Allen Brown's eldest daughter Connie Brown said the family is grateful to everyone who lent their support in getting word out about her father. She said the toughest part of the nine days her father had been missing was not knowing if he was safe.
"It's not tragic - we as a family, my mom, and me and my sister are just grateful we have found him, and we know he wasn't out there confused, wandering around in any kind of pain out there in those conditions," Connie Brown said.
She said the community circled around her mother and made sure she had everything she needed while her husband was missing.
"It's been such a wonderful support system and an added comfort that my mom has this continued support of all their friends," Connie Brown said.
Connie Brown said her dad is remembered as a generous man.
"I've heard lots of good things about my dad from people; they all say what a great and giving man he was," she said. "He was more likely to be the one to help others than to ask for help. A neighbor said that to me, and it couldn't be more true."
There were multiple reports around the state of sightings of Brown, but Layber said none of the sightings were confirmed. Layber said there had been at least 50 sightings reported to his department, but none were corroborated with video evidence or a vehicle following Brown's vehicle.
Layber said most of the tips from across the state appear to have been incorrect.
Detectives, the Rock County Accident Reconstruction Team and Rock County Medical Examiner responded to the scene.
Accord-ing to a Rock County Sheriff's Department news release, Brown's 2013 Ford Explorer was found partially submerged in Badfish Creek near Wisconsin 59 and Riley Road. Deputies found Brown, 80, on the creek bank near the vehicle.
Brown was reported missing by his family on Jan. 7 after he never returned home from a luncheon with a friend in Monticello. He was last seen leaving Monticello at 1:30 p.m. that day.
Preliminary investigation has found that Brown was possibly eastbound on Wis. 59 towards Milton when he crossed the centerline, entered the ditch and went into the creek. Brown appears to have exited the vehicle to the creek bank where his body was found.
The vehicle was discovered by somebody checking hunting traps, as the vehicle could not be seen from the roadway due to the steep embankment.
Milton Police Chief Daniel Layber said he can't definitively say how long Brown's body may have been there.
"It looks like he'd been there for a long time," Layber said. "It's just tragic that the family was getting tortured for nine days, waiting to hear back from their dad."
Layber said parts to the vehicle were located on the opposite side of the river, leading him to speculate that the river could have been frozen over when the vehicle left the roadway. He said the vehicle and Brown were found about 30 to 40 feet north of a bridge along Wis. 59.
"It's just one of those tragic things, at the wrong spot in a rural area; if he would have gone off the road in Monroe or Milton, you know someone would have helped him," Layber said.
Allen Brown's eldest daughter Connie Brown said the family is grateful to everyone who lent their support in getting word out about her father. She said the toughest part of the nine days her father had been missing was not knowing if he was safe.
"It's not tragic - we as a family, my mom, and me and my sister are just grateful we have found him, and we know he wasn't out there confused, wandering around in any kind of pain out there in those conditions," Connie Brown said.
She said the community circled around her mother and made sure she had everything she needed while her husband was missing.
"It's been such a wonderful support system and an added comfort that my mom has this continued support of all their friends," Connie Brown said.
Connie Brown said her dad is remembered as a generous man.
"I've heard lots of good things about my dad from people; they all say what a great and giving man he was," she said. "He was more likely to be the one to help others than to ask for help. A neighbor said that to me, and it couldn't be more true."
There were multiple reports around the state of sightings of Brown, but Layber said none of the sightings were confirmed. Layber said there had been at least 50 sightings reported to his department, but none were corroborated with video evidence or a vehicle following Brown's vehicle.
Layber said most of the tips from across the state appear to have been incorrect.
Detectives, the Rock County Accident Reconstruction Team and Rock County Medical Examiner responded to the scene.