Body found in Savage identified as missing basketball coach

A body found behind a Target store in Savage last week has been identified as a 39-year-old youth basketball coach who has been missing since November.

Martise Demond Windom, of Savage, has been missing since Nov. 7. Friends and supporters of the Lakeville youth basketball coach launched an effort to find him shortly after his disappearance, with volunteers combing the area he was last seen.

A body discovered Friday in a pond behind the Target store on Highway 13 was identified as Windom by the Hennepin County Medical Examiner's office on Sunday.

The office is still investigating how he died.

"In loving memory to a very beautiful, loving, funny and charismatic father, son, grandson, brother, uncle, nephew, cousin and friend you will be forever loved and missed from those who knew you and from the ones who searched for you," according to a statement posted on the Help Find Martise Windom Facebook page on Sunday evening.

The Savage Police Department and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension are investigating Windom's death.