The discovery of the body of a 31-year-old Ironton man on the banks of the Ohio River on Tuesday afternoon sparked a swirl of speculation on social media leading law enforcement officials to plead with the public to have patience.
Around 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, an Ironton City Employee discovered Terren Jenkins deceased on the banks of the Ohio River near the North Second Street overpass in Ironton. According to a 2022 list issued by the Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office, Jenkins was a registered tier II sex offender.
Police say after the body was identified, they notified family members and called in the Lawrence County Coroner’s Office to do other tests to look for a cause of death.
Ironton PD Detective Captain Brian Pauley said there’s no reason to suspect foul play and urged the public to allow the department to conduct their investigation and understand that they can’t give out any information until that work is finished.
Pauley said, “We’ve had several cases in the recent months that have been scrutinized on social media because of the lack of information given. But many of our cases, including this one, are still under investigation, and while under investigation, this information cannot be released.”
Pauley also warned against listening to rumors. “We’re living in a time where social media can be a great resource, but it can also cause many issues during an investigation. Rumors or false information is spread to fill in blanks in the story, which can halt or turn the investigation in the wrong direction. This information gets misinterpreted or misconstrued when used to help someone fill their own agenda.”
The victim had multiple previous contacts with Ironton Police with arrests on charges including theft, aggravated menacing, domestic violence, and sexual imposition back in 2010 – 2013 and was arrested for traffic warrants from OSP back in 2018.
Pauley assured the public that Ironton PD takes all investigations seriously and urged anyone with information about the incident to contact them.
