Two young men who found a “free car” and went on a joyride made the gruesome discovery of a man's naked corpse slumped in the trunk of the vehicle, sparking police investigations on Tuesday.
According to the joyriders, they spotted the abandoned car along a road in Byram, a city roughly 10 miles south of Jackson, and decided to give it a try after they saw the keys inside, Copiah County Sheriff Byron Swilley said.
The witnesses alleged the vehicle strangely had a sign that said “free car" but they ultimately decided to drive south to Copiah County, where they then took a closer look at the car to discover the dead man's naked body, People reported.
They immediately phoned 911 following their horrific discovery, with responding officers arriving where the vehicle was along Mississippi Highway 27 early Sunday. The young men would remain on the scene until law enforcement showed up.
Initial investigations unraveled that the body belonged to Anthony McCrillis, 34, after his distinct tattoos helped immediate family positively identify the victim, the Sacramento Bee noted.
Coroner Ellis Stuart said the victim may have already died a few days earlier as David Errington, chief of the Byram Police Department, confirmed that surveillance footage revealed that McCrillis was last seen alive late Friday.
Cops noted there are no visible signs of trauma from a gunshot or stabbing attack found on the man's body.
The Byram Police Department is still investigating McCrillis’ death and is awaiting autopsy results. Sheriff Byron Swilley also confirmed they have not yet filed any charges against the men who had been in the car as of Tuesday morning, according to WLBT.
“We believe that the body was already in the car when the two individuals took possession of it,” Swilley added.
Detectives said the vehicle, which was later found to be registered under the victim's name, was seen in Byram, Copiah County, and Jackson over the last few days.
A police officer also claimed to have spotted the car parked on the side of Old Byram road at around 9:30 a.m. on Saturday and stayed at the same place until 6 p.m.
“Saturday night, it was still seen by another employee from the junkyard,” chief Errington added.
At this point, authorities are yet to determine where the alleged crime took place as investigations continue.
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