Body found in abandoned N. Toledo garage

7/12/2013

A badly decomposed body found in an abandoned North Toledo garage remains unidentified.

The body was found Wednesday in the partially burned down garage behind 2713 Buckeye St.

Authorities believe the remains are that of a man, but the decomposition was so advanced that an approximate age and race have not yet been determined, said police Sgt. Joe Heffernan.

The remains were reported to police at 4:12 p.m. Wednesday by a man who used to live in the house, Sergeant Heffernan said.

The 21-year-old man, whose name was not released, was visiting Toledo and decided to visit the now boarded-up house when he found the body, which was covered by a blanket.

Dr. Maneesha Pandey, Lucas County deputy coroner, performed an autopsy Thursday. Dr. James Patrick, the county coroner, said it could be some time before the man’s identity is known or there’s a ruling on the death. Forensic anthropologists may be called on to help establish age and other characteristics. Entomologists could examine insect activity on the remains and offer a sense of how long ago the man died.

Sergeant Heffernan did not know, specifically, what type of clothing the man was wearing.

Police did not release information about the body until Thursday afternoon because investigators were looking through information about reported missing people who could possibly be the John Doe.

It did not appear that the remains matched anyone in the Toledo Police Department’s missing persons records, but until an identification is made, no one is being ruled out.

In only a little more than a year, and less than a quarter-mile apart, two bodies were found on Buckeye.

In the other incident on June 10, 2012, La’Sean Robinson’s naked body was found in an overgrown field at Buckeye and Bronson Avenue.

His death was ruled a homicide and Charles McCuin, 21, of Sylvania Township, entered Alford pleas in August to involuntary manslaughter with firearms specifications and tampering with evidence. McCuin is serving a 14-year sentence at the Ross Correctional Institution.