The brother of a missing Sudanese refugee who was living in Jackson is attempting to file a temporary restraining order over the remains that were discovered in the Pearl River over the weekend.
Dau Mabil, a well-respected and beloved member of the Belhaven community in Mississippi’s capital city, has been missing since March 25. His brother, Bul Mabil, has filed a temporary restraining order against Dau’s spouse, Karissa Bowley, the state’s crime lab, and others in an attempt to stop the release of the remains that a fisherman in Lawrence County found on Saturday.
According to Lawrence County Sheriff Ryan Everett, the body had been sent to the State Medical Examiner’s office in Jackson. The body is said to be that of a Black male, possibly forming a link to Dau’s disappearance. Bul, who believes his brother is dead, likely wants the body found in the Pearl River unhindered ahead of the autopsy. Hinds County Chancellor Dewayne Thomas granted the temporary restraining order on Thursday and ordered for an autopsy to be conducted.
Dau, 37, was last seen 24 days ago when he left his home to go for a routine walk at the Museum Trail in Belhaven Heights around lunchtime, according to Bowley. The now missing man did not bring his phone during his walk, which wasn’t atypical for him, but it left family, friends, and law enforcement without a direct means of communication. He last wore an orange long-sleeved shirt and blue pants with a yellow hoodie around his waist and is described as being six-foot-one and weighing 145 pounds.
One of the 20,000 Sudanese refugees known as the “Lost Boys,” Dau came to Mississippi in 2000 with 48 others from a North Kenya refugee camp through the work of multiple charity groups. He was then hired by Jackson restauranteur Jeff Good for a part-time gig and worked his way up to becoming an everyday pizza chef at the popular Sal N’ Mookies restaurant.
Efforts by law enforcement, family, and concerned community members to find Dau have proved futile thus far. Congressman Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., has even called for the United States Department of Justice to open an investigation into Dau’s disappearance.
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