An extensive search for the father of former Minnesota Vikings cornerback Mackensie Alexander came up empty, but Alexander’s father is alive and well after he was found early Thursday morning.
In fact, Jean Odney Alexandre (different spelling of his last name) “walked up to the ranger station at the Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park” around 7:15 a.m., according to the Okeechobee County Sheriff’s Office in southern Florida.
Alexander’s 65-year-old father was the subject of a missing person case, having gone missing while picking palmetto berries in the prairie on Monday. His disappearance led to an extensive search involving deputies, K9 teams, wildlife officers, helicopters and four-wheelers.
Alexander, who played for the Vikings for four seasons (2016-19) before signing with the Cincinnati Bengals this past offseason, left the football team Tuesday after his father went missing and was ultimately arrested on a battery charge.
According to a police report, obtained by The Athletic, Alexander allegedly approached the man who was picking berries with his father and punched him in the face multiple times, causing noticeable injuries to the man’s lip and forehead.
The man who was assaulted told authorities that Alexandre disappeared as they were picking berries, and that he left after searching for him for three hours, then driving home to pick up Alexandre’s wife and then searching for 45 minutes more before calling the sheriff’s office.
Alexander was released from jail after posting $2,000 bond on Wednesday. It’s unclear if he will face discipline from the NFL.
