MARBLEHEAD — A body that washed up off Edgemere Road on Thursday evening was identified as a missing 31-year-old man last seen in Peabody last month, said Essex County District Attorney Paul Tucker Saturday.
Michael Gray was reported missing by his family on Dec. 11, and officials searched the water off Juniper Beach in Salem for Gray for several days earlier this month, Tucker said in a joint statement with Marblehead Police Chief Dennis King, Salem Police Chief Lucas Miller, and Peabody Police Chief Thomas Griffin. Officials focused on the Salem Harbor area after discovering a connection between articles of clothing found there on Dec. 12 and Gray.
His body was found across Salem Harbor by a woman walking her dog in town.
The case remains under investigation by the Peabody and Salem Police Departments and State Police troopers from Tucker’s office.
Gray’s father, Peter, is a member of the St. Mary’s Varsity Club Hall of Fame and scored 1,000 points over the course of his career at the Lynn school.
In a lengthy tribute posted to Instagram, Gray’s wife, Jules, wrote that Gray was the “brightest light” in her life. She wrote that Gray, who had recently begun “cold plunging” to clear his mind, likely intended to do so off Juniper Beach on the night of Dec. 10.
“The truth of what happened was such an innocent but reckless mistake … but it ended in a fatal tragedy,” Jules Gray wrote.
“My twin flame and my soul mate all in one, my best friend, my dance partner, my sous chef, the love of my life. I am so blessed that we had 10 beautiful years of friendship that turned into partnership,” she continued. “I am forever changed because of him, the absolute love of my life and I will walk forward with a forever scar across my whole heart and soul.”
