Body found in woods on Big Pine Key remains unidentified

Passersby found the remains of a body Saturday in a wooded area on Big Pine Key, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office said.

But on Tuesday, no identification had been made by detectives, who couldn’t say whether the body was male or female and who gave no age range.

“They are working to confirm the sex of the victim, although they say there are some indications the person may be a male,” said Deputy Becky Herrin, the Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman. “At this point in the investigation we have no way of knowing if it is or isn’t suspicious in nature.”

Some papers with identifying information were found near the body but they could have belonged to someone else, Herrin said.

There were signs of a homeless encampment near where the body was located, past the intersection of 5th Avenue and Chambers Street.

A homeless man and his brother in the area to retrieve their belongings from a homeless camp nearby reported finding the body just after 7 p.m.

The Monroe County Medical Examiner took possession of the body and will join the investigation by the Sheriff’s Major Crimes Unit.

This story was originally published February 12, 2017 at 12:34 PM with the headline "Body found in woods on Big Pine Key remains unidentified."