An autopsy on the human remains found Sunday, Oct. 30, on Wells Cemetery Road in Cleveland has determined that the male victim was murdered.
According to Capt. Billy Knox, a spokesperson for the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office, the unidentified male died as a result of blunt force trauma. Because of the advanced decomposition of the remains, DNA testing is needed to determine the man’s identity. DNA testing can take weeks, or even months, so it will be some time before the person is identified.
“All the autopsy confirmed was cause of death and that the victim was a male,” Knox said.
The body was found on Sunday by passersby and then reported to authorities. Knox said the body was found lying near the side of Wells Cemetery Road, a secluded road that leads only to the cemetery.
Knox said Texas Rangers attended the autopsy and are assisting the sheriff’s office in the homicide investigation.
This is the second time in recent years that a body has been discovered on Wells Cemetery Road. In 2016, the body of another homicide victim – Tasha Green – was found in a wooded area of the cemetery road. Her killer was sentenced to 50 years in prison in 2021.
Knox feels confident that investigators will solve the most recent homicide case as well.
“Our investigators are continuing to track down leads and hope to get an arrest soon,” he said.
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