Mystery as bad smell leads to discovery of rotting body in garbage in such bad state cops couldn’t tell victim’s gender
A DECOMPOSED body has been found in a trash can in a backyard in Ohio after the homeowners said they “noticed a smell,” police said.
The body had deteriorated to the point that officials couldn't tell if the individual was a male or female, though several say detectives believe the body was a male.
Capt. Jason Simon of the Youngstown Police Department said that people on the property were renovating the home on Saturday when they smelled the odor, opened the trash can, and found the remains.
"We are unable to release many details due to the nature of the crime scene and the need to keep critical information confidential," Simon told The Sun on Tuesday.
"However, at this time we can say that no identification has been made of the individual."
Two men walking around a home in the area allegedly told neighbors on Monday they believe the victim to be their brother, according to .
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Calls were made to the about the discovery around 8.15pm Saturday to the 500-block of Loveless Avenue on the city's East Side.
Police also couldn't identify the age of the victim, or how long the body had been there, according to Simon.
The case is being investigated as a homicide, Simon told The US Sun.
"Though no cause or manner of death has been determined, it is being investigated as a homicide since that opens up more departmental and external resources for us to utilize in this investigation," he said.
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The home was not occupied at the time of the discovery.
The people who were working on the house are reportedly part of the family who owns it.
Detectives were on the scene for several hours Saturday night.
The Youngstown Police Department Detective Division, along with the Mahoning County Coroner’s Office and Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner, are actively investigating the case, Simon told The Sun.
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"We encourage anyone with information to call the Youngstown Police Department with any information they have, " he said.
"They can also call our Crime Stoppers at (330) 746-CLUE and leave anonymous tips which may be eligible for a reward."