A missing Ku Klux Klan leader has been found dead near a rural river in Missouri.

Frank Ancona, the self-proclaimed 'imperial wizard' of a St. Louis KKK chapter was last seen leaving his Leadwood home, with a packed bag and several guns on Wednesday.

He claimed that he had been called to work out of state - although his employers say that they never made such a call.

They reported him as missing on Friday when he failed to turn up for work for two days.

KKK leader Frank Ancona was found shot and killed on the banks of a river in rural Missouri

The self-proclaimed 'imperial wizard' of a St. Louis KKK chapter (left and right) was last seen leaving his Leadwood home, with a packed bag and several guns on Wednesday

Video courtesy of KMOV

His body was found outside Belgrade by a family who were on a fishing trip on Saturday, the Daily Journal reports.

An autopsy confirmed he had been shot in the head, the newspaper reported.

Cops said charges should be filed as early as Monday morning.

Washington County Sheriff Zach Jacobsen said: 'We left deputies at the scene and secured it overnight due to the loss of light.

'On Saturday morning we conducted a search of the area by foot by member of the Potosi Fire Protection District and the sheriff’s office. We didn’t locate much of anything in the woods, but we did locate evidence of a burn pile near Mr. Ancona’s vehicle.

Officers executed a search warrant at the home he shared with his wife and at another address nearby.

His property was blocked off as a group of seven or eight officers conducted a search.

An autopsy confirmed he had been shot in the head. Cops expect charges to be filed Monday

'Right now no one has been charged in his death, but that may change tomorrow.'

Police had recovered his car, which was near the body, the day before and were searching for Ancona when his body was spotted by the family.

'We processed the scene and the body was transported by the Washington County Coroner's office for an autopsy to determine a cause of death,' police said.

Ancona's son Frank, said in a Facebook post Thursday evening that his family had not had not heard from his father since Wednesday.

'This isn't like my dad,' he wrote.

Ancona gained notoriety as the leader of the Traditionalist American Knights, an extreme KKK-faction described as a hate group.

His body was found by the Big River outside Belgrade by a family who were on a fishing trip on Saturday

Frank Ancona was reported as missing on Friday by his employers after he disappeared on Wednesday

An autopsy into his death confirmed he had been shot in the head. Police are still investigating who was responsible

Ancona's body was discovered by a group of fisherman near the Big River in Missouri

He boasted that he had helped triple membership in recent years.

He also appeared on MSNBC to defend the use of lethal force against Ferguson demonstrators. Traditionalist American Knights of the Ku Klux Klan website features Ancona wearing KKK regalia in front of a burning cross.

Police questioned the 51-year-old's wife over his absence after she posted on Facebook that she was seeking a roommate - on the same day her husband went missing.

She told authorities that Ancona was filing for divorce when he returned so she'd need help covering rent, according to authorities.

Cops say a safe inside the couple's home had been smashed in with a crowbar - and its contents missing - when officers visited the home. Police said a burglary was not suspected.