Dundee man's death in West Virginia under investigation as a homicide
Human remains found along a hillside in West Virginia have been identified as those of a man from Dundee, Michigan.
The case is now under investigation as a homicide.
Sean Snuffer, chief deputy at the Kanawha County Sheriff's Office in West Virginia, gave that report during a press conference Thursday, following up on previous reports on the investigation of the scene just outside the city of Charleston.
No arrests have been made.
"There are people of interest who are being interviewed," Snuffer said.
The victim is Lenard Pierre Jackson, 38, of Dundee, Michigan. While the West Virginia officers determined he had been in their area for several days, they did not know what brought him to the area.
A missing person report regarding Jackson had been filed with the Charleston Police Department.
In their statements, the sheriff's office emphasized that this appeared to be an isolated incident.
"We don't think there's any threat to the community," Snuffer said.
The call to 911 regarding a possible body on a hillside near a local road was made on April 15. Investigators closed the road temporarily to motorists while they checked the scene and looked into the situation.
"The body did have an injury on it, which appeared to be caused by somebody else. We're not going to say what the cause of death is now until we get the lab results back and the blood work. But there were injuries, an injury on the body, that was consistent with a homicide," Snuffer said at the press conference.
The chief deputy said the body was sent to a medical examiner's office for autopsy and identification work. Fingerprints were used to confirm his identity, and then his family was notified.
The Kanawha County sheriff's office asks that anyone who has information about the circumstances of Jackson's death contact them with tips.
