(As originally published on Feb. 14, 2018)
It's been one year since the body of Michael Harris' younger brother was found near the Red River, a year in which he remained unidentified to almost everyone.
Foul play isn't suspected in Daniel Harris' death, but Alexandria Police Department investigators weren't sure when his body was found near the Purple Heart Memorial Bridge on Feb. 12, 2017.
The Town Talk published an article the next day that said there had been no identity made yet on the body assumed to be a male. Then, on Monday night, Michael Harris sent an email to a reporter that read, "while he was unidentified then, he was a person, with family that loved him.
"I wish he had let us serve him better."
Daniel was smart, said Michael. The 44-year-old grew up in Beaumont, Texas, graduating from Lamar University with an associate of business degree and from the University of Phoenix with an associate degree in accountancy.
He also had a real estate license.
But he struggled with mental-health issues, and the family couldn't recognize him when he was off his medication.
"When medicated, he was a productive member of society. He held good positions with his employers and had an active social life," wrote Michael. "When he was off of his medications, he was not the Danny that we knew and loved. I have no doubt that, had he lived, he would have fought his way back. That’s the way he was."
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The police department contacted Michael about 10 days after Daniel's body was found, he said. They found him through Daniel's Facebook page. Michael learned that his younger brother had his wallet with him, as well as other items that helped to identify him.
It was determined that Daniel died of natural causes. It's some comfort to his family.
"We will never know what those causes were, but I am grateful knowing that he was not taken away from us under suspicious circumstances," Michael wrote. "I was asked to give my DNA for comparison purposes to my local police department in Pennsylvania in April, and the results came back in November. My DNA and the DNA gathered from the remains were from the same family."
The Alexandria Police Department confirmed Daniel's identity and that homicide isn't suspected from the evidence found at the scene.
Daniel had been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, yet hated his medication because he thought it made him gain weight. Michael also said his brother thought he could control himself without the medication.
Daniel had been off his medication for at least six months, maybe longer, said Michael.
He said his family last had contact with Daniel in March 2016, but that wasn't unusual. He was known to disappear, and there had been times that almost a year went by with no contact, he said.
How he got to Alexandria is a mystery, though.
"He had been staying with a friend somewhere in Louisiana and had been asked to leave due to his behavior," he wrote. "I’m not sure how he ended up in Alexandria. I was under the impression that he would be heading back to Texas."
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