After a month-long search, the bodies of Lotus percussionist Chuck Morris and his 20-year-old son, Charley, have been found.
Authorities made the announcement yesterday (April 9), sharing that the bodies had been found 24 days after they went missing on March 16.
The two embarked on a kayaking trip in the Ozark Mountains and following an unsuccessful search, a recovery effort was launched.
“We were all hoping for a miracle, but at this point, the search for Chuck and Charley has moved to a recovery,” read a post by the band.
“With help from the K9 team, there is a probable location on the lake, but logistical challenges including temperature, weather, and depth have prevented a recovery thus far. It is unknown how long these efforts may take,” it continued. “While we are deeply grieving, we plan to celebrate Chuck and Charley’s lives, our memories with them, and what they meant to so many people.”
The Benton County Sheriff’s Office announced the news in a Facebook post, writing: “After 24 days of recovery efforts, the bodies of both Charles Morris IV (Chuck-Father) and Charles Morris V (Charley-son) have been recovered thanks to the technology and efforts by all personnel.”
Missing Kayakers RecoveredApril 9, 2023On March 16, 2023 the Benton County Sheriff’s Office began search efforts for…
Posted by Benton County Sheriff's Office on Sunday, April 9, 2023
In a tribute post on Sunday, Lotus shared a message from the Morris family: “Our family was informed by the Benton County Sheriff’s Office that Charley Morris has been found. We have concluded the cause of his death was drowning. The teams are still actively searching for Chuck Morris, but we continue to have faith in their work.”
Lotus formed in the ’90s and were known for their mix of instrumental and electronic music. They had played a number of shows this year, with a series of upcoming club and festival dates later in the year. However, it is currently unclear whether the band will continue to play these shows.
The group are due to play a number of benefit shows for the Morris family on April 21 and 22 at the Fillmore Auditorium in Denver, Colorado, at XL Live in Harrisburg, PA on May 5, and on May 6 at the Capitol Theatre in Port Chester, New York.
The band wrote in the tribute: “Thank you all for the outpour of support from around the world – we feel it and love you just as much! We look forward to meeting many of the Lotus fans at the upcoming benefit concerts in Denver, Harrisburg, and New York. Please purchase tickets at lotusvibes.com.”
See more tributes below.
Thank you all for the support we’ve seen since announcing 4 benefit concerts for the Morris Family as we honor the memory of Chuck & Charley. If you haven’t yet, grab your tickets now at https://t.co/XyphlAJyvR
April 21+22 – @FillmoreDEN
May 5 – @xlhbg
May 6 – @capitoltheatre pic.twitter.com/cJpYTmxcge— Lotus (@LotusTweets) April 2, 2023
If you would like to help the grieving wife and mother and family of Chuck and Charley Morris, you can here:https://t.co/hRK6oe4ixZ
— Donna Pitman KMBC (@DonnaPitmanKMBC) April 10, 2023
#BREAKING Benton Co Sheriffs Office says search crews found the bodies of Chuck and Charley Morris. It’s been 24 days since they went missing on Beaver Lake.
It’s a tragic situation but I’m thankful the family now has closure and can lay their loved ones to rest. 🙏🏻 #NWANews https://t.co/jA9zXrn4kc
— Anna Darling (@AnnaDarlingTV) April 9, 2023
In Memoriam: R.I.P. @LotusTweets percussionist Chuck Morris.
Officials have recovered the bodies of Chuck and his son Charley nearly a month after the pair went missing.
Read about Chuck's career + a statement from officialshttps://t.co/4rOpoKIe8U
— JamBase (@JamBase) April 10, 2023
May this bring some closure to the Morris family and the Lotus family. Love y'all.
Rest in peace Chuck and Charley https://t.co/wGcPKrtVOy
— Mickey Shart🌲👽🌲 (@terruntz2) April 10, 2023
The Benton County Sheriff’s Office says the bodies of Chuck Morris and his son Charley have been recovered from Beaver Lake after the pair went missing while kayaking March 16th; Chuck was well known as the percussionist for the Philadelphia-based jam band Lotus. pic.twitter.com/TavQVJ4sdS
— Chris May (@KATVChrisMay) April 10, 2023