Grisly discovery of body so badly decomposed and ravaged by animals leaves cops stumped in hunt for missing man

POLICE have been left stumped after a missing man believed to be dead turned up safe and well - and new mystery surrounds the identity of a badly decomposed body.

The body, which had been ravaged by animals, was so badly decomposed that the gender could not be identified.

Police in Oklahoma were on the hunt for a missing man, Caleb Zoellner, 30, after fears were raised about his wellbeing when he was classified as being an endangered person.

But Caleb thankfully has been found and returned home safe and sound.

Police came across the horrific find while searching a homeless camp.

Caleb was suffering from mental health problems and his family contacted the police after he disappeared without his phone and wallet.

They received a tip-off after a member of the community recognized him and alerted the family.

Police then went straight to the place he was last seen.

He was first reported missing on Thursday 19 May and was eventually returned home on Sunday 30 May.

Speaking to Fox23 News, sister Hannah Bradley said: "I fell to my knees when I saw this picture, I mean, it was Caleb, and he was living, and he was breathing.”

With Caleb now found, a new mystery surrounds the morbid discovery.

The body was discovered at around 3pm on Friday 27 May, on North Yale Avenue in Tulsa, where the homeless camp was set up.

Judging by the state the body was found in, the police think it had been there "a long time."

Police Captain Thom Bell said the body they discovered was in such a badly decomposed state that it couldn't have been "related to anyone recently missing," he told Tulsa World.

Completely ravaged by animals, the body had no identifiable features left and has been sent in for an autopsy to determine the cause of death.