AUBURN — A body believed to be that of Mark Conley of Naples, missing since December, was found Monday in the Little Androscoggin River by Barker Mill Dam workers, Police Chief Jason Moen said.

At 12:06 p.m., police responded to a report of a body found near one of the sluice gates, Moen said in a statement Monday.

Authorities believe it is that of Conley, 67, whose car was discovered Jan. 3 submerged in the river, Moen wrote.

The body was removed by Auburn fire and rescue personnel and transported to a local funeral home where the state Medical Examiner’s Office will make a positive identification.

The Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office and state police had looked for Conley since he was reported missing Dec. 25, after he failed to show up for a family gathering. Conley was last seen the night before at a family member’s house in Lewiston.

Conley, who lived with his brother, owned Conley Enterprises, a heating and air conditioning company.

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A vehicle found Jan. 3 in the river off Broad Street was confirmed to be that of Conley, according to police.

Conley was not found inside, and the driver’s side window was smashed when it was pulled from the water, Shannon Moss, public information officer for the Maine Department of Public Safety, said.

When last seen, Conley was driving a silver 2016 Jeep Patriot SUV.

Detectives with the Maine State Police were on their way Jan. 3 to interview those close to Conley in Lewiston when they noticed a dented guardrail on Broad Street and turned around to investigate, according to Moss. They found debris from the vehicle and, after launching a surveillance drone, discovered the wreckage in the water.

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