Deputies investigate body found in south Fort Myers as a homicide

Writer: Derrick Shaw
Published: Updated:
Death investigation
Sheriff Carmine Marceno at the scene of a death investigation in south Fort Myers (Credit: Lee County Sheriff’s Office)

The body of a man was found along Sophomore Lane in south Fort Myers Monday morning.

Lee County Sheriff Carmine Marceno held a news conference to say the death is considered a homicide, however, little information is currently known.

Marceno said two people walking in the area found a body within bushes in an area with lots of standing water.

The couple was walking their dogs along a remote stretch of Sophomore Lane when the animals smelled something. Moments later, they saw what the dogs sniffed out, a body.

The man and woman asked that their identities not be revealed.

“We walked down this road every morning with our dogs between 7 and 7:30 and this morning as we were walking along just noticed something off in the ditch that was pink and then saw something kind of by it like a towel or a blanket and then I looked and could tell it was a body,” said the couple.

The couple called 911 right away, never touching the body. They said it was clear the man was dead.

“He had dark hair, no shirt. It looked like someone had dumped him is the impression I got,” they said.

The road isn’t heavily traveled and there are not many homes, though it sits right off of Daniels Parkway.

Soon after the discovery of the body, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office Dive Team arrived and was seen going in and out of the wooded area where the body was found.

Marceno said it’s too early in the investigation to answer questions, other than to say it’s a homicide.

“It appears to be an isolated incident, it appears to be a male, unidentified right now, we’re working on that identification process, OK, could be 40s to 60s, unknown who again working on that identity. It appears he was killed somewhere other than this location and dumped at this location,” said Marceno.

If you have any information, you can call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-780-TIPS (8477) or
southwestfloridacrimestoppers.com

You can also call the Lee County Sheriff’s Office at (239)477-1000 or click here.

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