INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — A body of what appears to be a middle-aged man was found Wednesday near the Jungle Trail, prompting a death investigation, deputies said.
This is the third incident this month where a body had been discovered in Indian River County. No foul play was suspected in Wednesday’s case, Indian River County sheriff’s Lt. Joe Abollo said.
Abollo said a juvenile found the remains about 11 a.m. in the Indian River Lagoon near the shoreline – just west of the Jungle Trail – and then dialed 911. Sheriff’s crime scene investigators responded to the north end of the trail, which cuts through a thicket of brush and palms, where the human remains were found.
Deputies were working to identify the remains. An autopsy will be performed to determine the exact cause of death.
Two other deaths in Indian River County also remain under investigation.
A body found Dec. 1 in the woods off 58th Avenue was identified as 55-year-old Paul Richard Asafaylo, who deputies described as homeless. No foul play was suspected in Asafaylo’s death, sheriff’s officials said.
The medical examiner’s office was awaiting Asafaylo’s toxicology results to determine his cause of death.
Another body found Dec. 16 in a wooded area off Granada Avenue in Vero Beach was identified as 59-year-old Allen Brent Hamilton. Vero Beach police described Hamilton as a transient who traveled between Vero Beach and Melbourne.
Officers classified Hamilton’s death as a homicide and asked for the public’s help in solving the crime. Anyone with information on Hamilton’s death should contact police Det. Dan Brumley at 772-978-4660.