It was a discovery made by Barthelemy's father-in-law that led to the body, according to Sabine Parish Sheriff Richardson, who says it was a shovel caked with "fairly fresh river mud" on the banks of Saline Lake in Winn Parish that first alerted Robert Barthelemy's father-in-law that something was out of place on the property the two had used for duck hunting in the past.
Nearby, a pair of familiar sunglasses was also found. Richardson says they "closely resemble the ones we've seen on TV of that the victim had been wearing."
At that point, Barthelemy's father-in-law called authorities. Within a couple of hours, a Red River Parish cadaver dog had alerted on a shallow grave and the body itself was found.