Authorities in Florida on Saturday found a body burning in a field in a suspected homicide.
A witness driving past the field called local law enforcement around 9 a.m. Saturday morning to report “what appeared to be a mannequin on fire,” according to a statement from Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. The body was burning in an open field behind a residential neighborhood.
Hillsborough County Fire and Rescue responded to the call and extinguished the flames, then determined the subject was actually a dead individual. The victim was said to have upper body trauma, but due to the severity of the burns, no identification was made at the time.
Decomposing Body Reportedly Found With Biohazard Material, Possible Weapons Of Mass Destruction Planhttps://t.co/hu2JyArigy
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“This is a jarring scene,” Sheriff Chad Chronister said, according to the statement. “At this time, our deputies are doing everything they can to determine what happened to this person. We do believe this is an isolated incident, and we will continue to work tirelessly until we determine how this horrific crime occurred.”
In additional statements made to ABC affiliate WFTS, a spokesperson for the sheriff’s office said it was unclear whether the individual was male or female due to the burns.
“I was out here doing yard work this morning, and I didn’t see or smell anything, but as I started watching the helicopters come in, I looked up and finally seen a report of what was going on,” neighbor to the scene Nicholas Minchew told the outlet. “To go that far and that extent to do something, you’ve got to be very angry at someone.” (RELATED: Body Of Athlete Found A Year After He Vanished)
Authorities believe that the homicide is an isolated incident, and the case is currently under investigation, ABC News noted.