FWPD: Body found near burning trash can

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) – The Fort Wayne Police Department is investigating the death of a male, after finding his body near a burning trash can early Wednesday morning.

Police and firefighters were called to an alley behind the 1000 block of Kinsmoor Avenue at 2:10 a.m.

FWPD Spokesman Officer Chris Felton said a 911 caller reported the fire and a burning body nearby. The caller attempted to put out the fire with an extinguisher, as did the first arriving officers at the scene.

Paramedics pronounced the victim dead at the scene.

Felton said investigators are considering the death suspicious, because there is no clear evidence at the scene to indicate what exactly happened.

Investigators have not been able to determine how the man ended up in the alley. Police said no disturbances were reported in the area prior to the fire. Several investigators said there were no reports of gunfire or screaming.

As of 5 a.m., police have not been able to I.D. the individual, but they said they do know it’s a male. They’ve not been able to determine an age or if the victim lived in the neighborhood.

Detectives were speaking with neighbors and crime scene technicians were gathering any possible evidence in the alley.

Investigators hope an autopsy will provide a better picture of what happened.

Several officers described a gruesome crime scene and one FWPD officer told 24-Hour News 8’s sister station, WANE, it was the worst thing he has seen in 27 years.

The Allen County Coroner’s Office is expected to release the male’s identity, including a cause and manner of death later today.

The incident is under investigation by FWPD and FWFD and the Allen County Coroner’s Office and Allen County Prosecutor’s Office.