Beech Creek Death Update

BEECH CREEK – Authorities say it could be six to eight weeks until a cause of death is determined relative to a Beech Creek teenager whose body was found along Beech Creek stream Jan. 16.

A passerby crossing the Veterans Memorial Bridge linking Beech Creek and Blanchard spotted the body of Alex Taylor Witherite, 17.

An autopsy was conducted Friday at the Mount Nittany Medical Center and Clinton County Coroner Zach Hanna said it would take some six to eight weeks for toxicological tests to be completed.

State police at Lamar are involved in the investigation into the death but there have been no new releases since the first announcement last week.

Witherite had been a student at the Sugar Valley Rural Charter School. His father had reported the youth missing to state police on Dec. 8.