Breaking news: body ID’d in Arlington, 8K death in Bartlett

Body found in Arlington ID’d as missing man with dementia

The body found around noon Tuesday in a wooded patch of Arlington has been identified as 63-year-old John Shields, who suffered from dementia and diabetes.

He was prone to wandering and was last seen alive midday on Jan. 31 at his apartment near Hacks Cross and Tennessee 385. The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office issued a Silver Alert on Jan. 31 as part of efforts to locate him.

A man helping his neighbor search for a lost dog found Shields’ body face down in a muddy area of the woods behind a home at 5374 Hidden Meadows Drive.

The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office has not yet released his cause of death.

Grandfather dies during Bartlett 8K race on Sunday

Joe Buckner of Brandon, Miss., died while participating in an 8K race at Nesbitt Park in Bartlett on Sunday. He was participating with a family member in the Winter Cross Country Series hosted by the Memphis Runners Track Club.

On Tuesday afternoon, club president George Higgs released a statement about the deceased. “Memphis Runners Track Club sadly acknowledges the death of Joe Buckner at Sunday’s Winter Off-Road Series trail run in Nesbitt Park in Bartlett. My understanding is that he ran the race at the encouragement of, and along with, his granddaughter. Apparently, Mr. Buckner was in good shape and was an avid runner. There were at least two medical doctors and two registered nurses participating as runners who provided immediate emergency care until Bartlett medical personnel arrived. We want to thank all of those individuals as well as the Bartlett Police Department for their persistence, determination, and professionalism in trying to save Mr. Buckner. Runners are a closeknit breed, so we feel like we have lost a family member. Our prayers and thoughts are with the friends and family of Joe Buckner.”

Funeral arrangements for Buckner are available online.