The search for the younger brother of Baltimore Ravens star free safety Ed Reed came to a sad ending as the body of Brian Reed was finally recovered from the Mississippi River.
Brian Reed jumped into the river to elude police. His mother, Karen Reed, has said her son has struggled with drugs and alcohol.
An autopsy will be conducted by Jefferson Parish authorities to confirm that the body recovered is in fact Brian Reed.
"It’s been tough, but you know God is good," Ed Reed told WDSU, a Louisiana television station. "To have found our brother today it brings closure and knowing that he’s in a better place. I thank God that he was found. My feelings say yes because that was the spot."
The family had been standing vigil on the river bank for days awaiting word from the search.
Brian Reed was found 15 feet under water.
Brian Reed had battled mental health issues, according to his family.
"That’s the unanswered questions that we have to go through," Ed Reed said. "And that’s something we have to live with not truly knowing what was happening that day. Good will come out of it. Hopefully, another kid won’t go down the same road."
Reed said his brother had suffered from mental issues, but there remain unanswered questions about his decision to jump into the Mississippi River.
"He had some mental stuff going on before," Reed said during a news conference in Louisiana. "But there was truly no sign of this happening. We don’t know what triggered it and we don’t know what happened between that time of him running from the police officer and the decision he made. We know that there’s bigger things in life and principalities that we have to deal with, spiritually. And maybe he was dealing with something and having more pain than we ever knew that made him make that decision, or pushed him to make that decision."
The Reed family issued this statement:
"We would like to thank all the agencies that worked persistently to recover our loved one. First, Mr. Tim Miller, with Texas EquaSearch, Team Watters, Inc., the diver’s from Madcon Corporation, and the St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Department, who worked endlessly and would not give up. We would also like to thank St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Department, who also helped in the search. We appreciate all prayers and support from everyone throughout this trying time."
