'It's So Heartbreaking': Body Of Missing University Of Alabama Student Identified As 20-Year-Old From Mount Airy
MOUNT AIRY, Md. (WJZ) -- A local family gets the news no one ever wants to hear.
"It's so heartbreaking," one person said.
After several days of searching, police in Tuscaloosa, Alabama have found the body of Garrett Walker in a river.
"They are not doing well, to be honest," said the family's attorney, Josh Hayes.
Josh Hayes represents Walker's family and says it was a painful confirmation.
"Every day is a challenge and every day they are just trying to wrap their head around what happened to their son and make it through each day," said Hayes.
Walker was from Mount Airy and a junior at the University of Alabama.
Hayes says the 20-year-old went to the football game on Saturday and was last spotted leaving a bar in Downtown Tuscaloosa early Sunday morning.
Some of his clothes and a cell phone were spotted along the Black Warrior River Bank.
"It's so sad and it's not something you hear about a lot especially here at UA," said University of Alabama student Garrett Reese.
Search crews used boats, drones, and underwater sonar to search the area and discovered his body on Tuesday.
"He was one of four he has an older sister and two younger twin brothers. A tight-knit family and it's been pretty rough on them," said Hayes.
Walker was studying to become an Aerospace Engineer. He had a passion for flying planes and was already an accomplished pilot. His friends adored him.
"My roommate's girlfriend was really good friends with him and it's so sad to see how she is on a daily basis since this tragedy happened," said University of Alabama student Brooke Baldwin.
With so many questions and still no answers, Hayes says all the family can do is hold on to the memories.
"It's an unbelievably sad story and what is more important is for Garett to be remembered for how he lived not for how he died," Hayes added.
The investigation is ongoing. Officials are conducting an autopsy and once they are finished, he will be brought back here to Maryland for a funeral.
