Body reportedly found in Gary turns out to be lifelike doll; Search continues for Ariana Taylor

GARY, Ind. (CBS) — Police announced a major development in the search for Ariana Taylor in Gary, Indiana, Sunday — and then a very odd correction when they discovered it was not a body they found, but rather a life-sized doll. 

Gary police sent out an alert that they found a body in a grassy area, but then a few hours later they said it was not a body at all. 

While Taylor’s family stood by waiting, it was found to be a rubber silicone doll. 

Taylor, 23, was last heard from late on April 2. Police found her car on Monday, crashed off I-65. 

Since then police have been looking on foot with K-9 units, on ATV, in area hospitals and even under water, all with no luck. Her friends and family formed a search party to look for her earlier in the week. 

After all that searching, the Lake County Coroner’s Office told CBS 2 a NIPSCO employee doing work near 15th Avenue and Lake Street called Lake County Dispatch because they thought they had found something. Police showed up and even sent out a statement that they had found a body, but it was the doll. 

CBS 2 asked police how that could be confused, and they said there was a sheet over the doll and that they could not remove that sheet to look until the coroner arrived on scene. 

For now the search for Ariana Taylor continues. Her family is still looking for her, and police say their investigation is ongoing.