GLOUCESTER COUNTY, Va. (WAVY) — Authorities believe they have identified the victim in what they now classify as a homicide in Gloucester County, but for now are withholding his name.
The Gloucester County Sheriff’s Office says the victim, identified as a Black man believed to be between 18 to 29 years old, was found dead around 4:22 p.m. Monday on Providence Road near the Rosewell Memorial Garden Cemetery in Hayes. Investigators said the man is about 5-feet-9-inches tall and weighs approximately 165 pounds.
They ruled the man’s death to be a homicide as a result of the ongoing investigation and autopsy, and said the incident is not related to any type of vehicle crash.
“This is a criminal investigation unrelated to a driving offense,” the Sheriff’s Office said Wednesday.
For nearly two days, there was no ID of the body, though the victim did have five tattoos:
- “TRL”
- “Loyalty”
- “Hell”
- “Peace 96”
- “Yata”
The Sheriff’s Office said it is withholding his name from the public until they get positive identification from the medical examiner’s office and then contact his family about his death.
“You and Norfolk and Virginia Beach are used to this, but we ain’t,” said Larry Furr, who lives across the road near where the body was found. “When I asked the trooper, he said there’s an investigation going on, and we can’t tell you anything else,” Furr said.
Wanda Hansford, an administrative assistant at Providence Baptist Church, said many in the community have been talking about the incident and expressed confidence in the Sheriff’s Department to find out what happened. She asked people to pray for the families involved.
“I have had people calling and talking about this,” Hansford said. “I’ve had a dozen calls a day, and I don’t know any more than what I told you. We just don’t know what happened.”
Anyone with information is asked to contact criminal investigator Jon Holt at 804-693-1133. To remain anonymous, call the Crime Line at 1-888-LOCK-U-UP.
Continue to check WAVY.com for updates.