On August 19, 2019 at 4:09 p.m. Smith County Sheriff’s Deputies were dispatched to a Suspicious Person call at 12108 IH 20 West near Jim Hogg Rd. The caller advised that a body was located in a wooded area near this location. Upon arrival, Deputies were escorted into the wooded area where a partially decomposed body was located which appeared to be that of a white male.
Shortly thereafter, Smith County Investigators and the Crime Scene Unit arrived. J.P. Pct. 5 Judge John Johnson arrived on scene for the inquest. The body was removed to Forensic Medical in Tyler for the autopsy.
On August 20 an autopsy was performed on the deceased body located in a wooded area near the intersection of IH 20 and Jim Hogg Rd. The autopsy was performed at Forensic Medical in Tyler. The preliminary autopsy results indicate that the male subject passed away from natural causes and exposure. There were no signs of trauma or foul play discovered during the autopsy.
A tentative identification of the body is imminent, however, will not be made available until family members have been notified.
This investigation is ongoing and further details will be made available as they develop.