Body Found of US Airman Who Vanished in Italy

Halex Hale's body was identified by his father and a colleague of Hale

The body of a U.S. airman who went missing in northern Italy was recovered Tuesday, Italian police confirmed in a statement, NBC News reported. 

Staff Sgt. Halex Hale's body was found about half a mile away from where he was last seen in Sacile, according to Italian police.

Hale, from Middletown, Indiana, went missing on July 2 after leaving a friend's off-base cookout. Authorities believed he was drunk and fell into a nearby canal, which was swollen due to recent rains.

Halex’s father, Lance Hale, told NBC News Sunday he doesn’t accept Italian authorities' theory, saying a fellow airman told him his son left the party without his wallet, keys and cell phone. 

Hale, who was assigned to the 31st Fighter Wing at Aviano Air Base north of Venice, had been in the Air Force for six years.

Contact Us