A Florida man discovered human remains in a trash can that he had been storing for his friend in a mobile home park, the Sarasota Herald-Tribune reports.
According to the report, the man opened the trash can—which had been in his possession for over two months—after noticing a foul smell, and discovered a badly decomposing body inside that had been wrapped up. The man believed that the trash can held “personal items.”
The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office said that the unidentified man was keeping the 55-gallon container for a friend who promised he’d come back for it.
The sheriff’s office is working to identify the remains and how the person died. They have not yet named a suspect, though an autopsy was done on Wednesday.
“The guy holding this trash can said that he thought it was a container of personal items,” MCSO spokesman Randy Warren told the Herald-Tribune. “He was told by the owner of the can, ‘I'll be back for it later on.’”
Warren added that "If we find there is something here that leads to a person of interest" the information will be made public. “Detectives need some time to figure things out," he added.
