INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — The “suspicious” death of an as of yet unidentified adult male in Gifford has been upgraded to a homicide, Sheriff Deryl Loar announced Friday. The Medical Examiner’s Office has ruled out natural causes and suicide for the man’s death, leaving homicide as the only option.
The male’s race has yet to be determined, according to the sheriff, but is between the ages of 18 and 50, stood approximately 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighed 170 pounds.
He died approximately three to four weeks ago if not earlier, Sheriff Loar said.
A lawn service crew hired to maintain the bank-owned property detected an odor, which led the crew to the discovery.
The body had so badly decomposed the head had separated from the body, according to authorities.
Sheriff Loar could not speak to the nature of the man’s cause of death, only stating that it was a homicide.
The Sheriff’s Office is running missing person reports but has not yet discovered anyone matching the vague description from the Medical Examiner’s Office, Sheriff Loar said. He added that it is possible that there are people missing who have yet to be reported.
The Medical Examiner’s Office is continuing to work to determine the identity of the man.
Sheriff’s spokesman Jeff Luther said it could be a couple days before more information is released from that office.
The Indian River County Sheriff’s Office is seeking the public’s assistance in the case and asks that residents call the department at (772) 569-6700 or Crime Stoppers at (800) 273-TIPS with any information.
