Body Found Behind Meijer Store In Sterling Heights
STERLING HEIGHTS (WWJ) - Police are investigating after a decomposed body found behind a Meijer store in Sterling Heights.
An investigation is underway at the location — at Van Dyke and 16 Mile Road — following the discovery by someone who was mowing the grass late Wednesday morning.
Sterling Heights Police Lt. Dave Smith says preliminary information is that the deceased is a homeless man who may have been staying behind the store.
"We were called back there on what appeared to be a deceased person. We got back there and, upon investigation, located numerous empty alcohol bottles along with a body that had been there at least for a couple of days," Smith said.
Also found, Smith said, was a prescription medicine bottle with a name police recognized.
"From some of the evidence collected on scene, it may be someone who we've had numerous contacts with for being intoxicated in the past," he said. "Can't say for sure. We gotta err on the side of we don't know at this point, but...things do point that way."
The name on the bottle has not been released. Smith would say only that the deceased is an adult male.
Smith said at this point there's nothing to indicate foul play was involved, but detectives will be interviewing people in the area to see if they've seen anything suspicious.
An autopsy will be performed to determine cause of death.
