By PHYLLIS ZORN

Staff writer

A man who reportedly caused a disturbance on a westbound Amtrak train was found dead Sunday about 3½ miles east of Peabody, where he is believed to have jumped from the train.

Newton police lieutenant Scott Powell said Amtrak had called the Newton police department to ask officers to remove a passenger from a westbound train when it reached Newton.

“They said he was causing a disturbance,” Powell said.

When the train stopped at Newton, police could not find the passenger on board but a window in his compartment was open.

“They tried to figure out where the guy was last known to be,” Powell said. “Another passenger said he thought he’d jumped from the train around Walton.”

Since Harvey County deputies were busy elsewhere, Newton police searched along the tracks from Newton to the county line.

“We’d already called the train company and they said they thought somebody had jumped,” Powell said.

Sheriff’s deputies in Marion County were alerted by Newton police about 3:45 a.m. Sunday.

Undersheriff David Huntley said the body of Timothy Ogle Pfeiffer, 31, Greensburg, Indiana, was found near Doyle Creek about 10:45 a.m. after a seven-hour search. He was identified by an ID found on his person.

Huntley said Pfeiffer’s injuries were consistent with having fallen or jumped off a train.

Railroad police for Amtrak and Burlington Northern Santa Fe were notified of the incident, Powell said.

Railroad police will continue to investigate the matter, Huntley said.

A spokesman for Amtrak could not be reached for comment.