April 28 2017

April 28 2017

Man (20s) Drowns

GROSS ILE, MI -- Police have ruled out homicide in the death of a black man found by a fisherman in Detroit River Tuesday.
Grosse Ile Police Chief Joseph Porcarelli said it appears the black man estimated to be in his 20s died of drowning. It's not clear if it was suicide or accidental, but there were no signs of trauma or foul play, the chief said.

The man hasn't been identified and Grosse Ile police are working alongside Detroit police to determine if it is a missing person from Detroit. Porcarelli said there are several missing persons cases they are looking at as possibilities.

Investigators are attempting to use fingerprints to ID they body but may use dental records if that method is unsuccessful.

Grosse Ile is an island community downriver from Detroit and Porcarelli said bodies sometimes get "hung up" in Grosse Ile if they're floating down the river.

The man body was found near the shore.

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A person discovered by a fisherman Tuesday night in the Detroit River, at the tip of Grosse Ile, was most likely a drowning victim.

Police Chief Joseph Porcarelli told The News-Herald Friday morning that although the cause of death is believed to be drowning, his officers are working with Detroit Police investigators to identify the victim.

Porcarelli said the victim is a black male, possibly in his 20s.

Although it’s not known who the victim is, one thing is clear. He died quite some time ago.

Porcarelli described the body as badly decomposed, saying the victim may have been in the water for months.

Jim Martinez, a spokesman for the Wayne County Medical Examiner’s Office, said the poor condition of the body is one reason why the victim has not yet been identified.


Martinez said once the body has been identified, the Medical Examiner’s Office normally releases the individual’s name, date of birth, date of death (or an estimate of when the person died), and the manner and cause of the death.

Because the body hasn’t been identified, he said the Medical Examiner’s Office isn’t releasing any information at this time.