CRESTON - A body was found Wednesday morning in a rural, wooded area of Wirt County near Creston, officials said.

The body was found near the Groundhog community in the Creston area, said Wirt County Medical Examiner Gregg Busch, who was called to the scene.

Busch said he could not release information on whether the person was male or female, how the person apparently died or other details of the case.

Busch said the body has been sent to the state Medical Examiner's Office in Charleston for an autopsy. He did say the body had apparently been at the location for some time.

Busch referred questions to the Wirt County Detachment of the State Police.

A dispatcher at the Elizabeth detachment of the State Police Wednesday night said a press release on the incident, with more details, would be available today.

Wirt County Sheriff Keith Wilson confirmed by e-mail Wednesday night that a body had been found in a remote location in Wirt County.

The Wirt County Sheriff's Office is assisting the West Virginia State Police in the investigation, with Cpl. G.W. McCullough leading the investigation, Wilson said.

Meanwhile, officials in Gilmer County are still searching for a Charleston man who has been missing since early Friday morning. Basil Fredrick Hill, 29, was last seen after he left Trezan's restaurant on Conrad Street around 12:30 a.m. Friday.

Hill was intoxicated and asked to leave the restaurant, said Mickey Metz, Gilmer County sheriff.

State Police are assisting Gilmer County officials in the search for Hill, who was last seen wearing suspenders and a green hooded sweatshirt.