Bodies of deputy and woman he arrested found after patrol car goes into river; deputy's final text to wife was "water"

The body of a missing eastern Tennessee deputy sheriff was found on Thursday evening, officials said.

Hamilton County Sheriff's office said the body of Meigs County Deputy Robert "R.J." Leonard had been recovered and was being escorted to the Knoxville Regional Medical Examiner's Office. Video footage showed numerous law enforcement motorcycles and vehicles with their lights driving down a darkened road.

Law enforcement started the multiple agency search for Leonard on Wednesday night after he lost contact with Meigs County dispatch, reported WDEF in Chattanooga, Tennessee. 

District Attorney Russell Johnson said at an earlier news conference that Leonard made an arrest and was headed to the county jail.

Johnson confirmed a woman's body that was handcuffed was recovered in the vehicle, reported WDEF. The woman's identity has not yet been confirmed. 

Officials said they believe Leonard might have turned his vehicle into the river in the dark. Leonard, who moved to the rural Tennessee region from New York a few months earlier, came to the sheriff's office from Cleveland State Police Academy. 

The deputy's last communication was with his wife was a text message that said, "water."

Chief Deputy Brian Malone of the Meigs County Sheriff's Department said, "Deputy Leonard was only here for a couple of months, but he had become a part of our family."

In:
• Tennessee

Cara Tabachnick

Cara Tabachnick is a news editor and journalist at CBSNews.com. Cara began her career on the crime beat at Newsday. She has written for Marie Claire, The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal. She reports on justice and human rights issues. Contact her at [email protected]