The Bay County Sheriff’s Office announced today that the body of missing teenager Ryan Zerbach was found this morning not far from his home in the Bayhead area of Bayou George. Zerbach appears to have died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. The body has been turned over to the Medical Examiner for autopsy.
Zerbach was last heard from on November 11, 2014, by text messages he sent to family that indicated his intention to harm himself. He left on foot before his parents could get home. A missing person’s report was filed and BCSO deputies and investigators began a search of the area. BCSO K9 dogs and the BCSO Air Unit were also used in the search.
On November 12, information and a picture of Ryan Zerbach were distributed to local media. Bay County Search and Rescue teams and investigators conducted extensive searches throughout the day but did not find the seventeen year old boy.
On November 13, Bay County Search and Rescue, BCSO deputies and investigators began the search again at the home, using an additional search and rescue dog. The dog was able to track Zerbach from the residence to where his body was found—a swampy, wooded area not far from his home. He was located at about 9:54 a.m.
Zerbach was a student at Bay High School and a member of the Million Dollar Band.