Slain male found by mushroom hunters in Muscatine

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By Melissa Regenniter | Wednesday, May 07, 2008 | 34 comment(s)

MUSCATINE, Iowa — The body found Tuesday night in the woods off the north side of Funck’s Hill Road was that of a male homicide victim, Muscatine authorities said Wednesday afternoon.

Investigators are pursuing several leads, said Detective Mike Bailey of the Muscatine County Sheriff’s Office.

The victim has not yet been positively identified, said Bailey, who declined to say when or how the man had been killed.

Capt. C.J. Ryan of the Muscatine County Sheriff’s Office, who was at the scene, said that mushroom hunters found the body just before 8 p.m. Tuesday. The body was partially decomposed and removed from the scene in the middle of the night, Ryan said.

The area is rural and heavily wooded. Officials lit the scene with a mobile command center and processed the area through the night. Rain coming down through the night made for uncomfortable conditions for officials.

A nearby neighbor, who asked to remain anonymous, said hearing that there was a body found a few blocks from her home gave her an eerie feeling.

The investigation is being conducted by the Muscatine County Attorney’s Office, Muscatine County Sheriff’s Office and Muscatine Police Department.

Melissa Regennitter can be contacted at (563) 263-2331 Ext. 317, or mregennitter@muscatinejournal.com.

Earlier Stories:

MUSCATINE, Iowa — Few details were being released this morning about the body found Tuesday night in the woods off the north side of Funk’s Hill Road in rural Muscatine.

Capt. C.J. Ryan of the Muscatine County Sheriff’s Office, who was at the scene, said that mushroom hunters found the body just before 8 p.m. Tuesday.

The body was partially decomposed. Investigators will not confirm if it was a male or female until after an autopsy was completed today in Iowa City.

The body was removed from the scene in the middle of the night.

The area where the body was found is rural and heavily wooded. Officials lit the scene with a mobile command center and processed the area through the night. At 8 a.m. the road was still blocked off. Ryan said it would open later today.

Rain coming down throughout the night made for uncomfortable conditions for investigators.

A neighbor said this morning she wasn’t sure what was going on and was waiting for officials to inform her. She said it gave her an eerie feeling after hearing that there was a body found a few blocks from her home.

Ryan said officials will issue a press release following the autopsy findings.

The investigation is being conducted by the Muscatine County Attorney’s Office, Muscatine County Sheriff’s Office and Muscatine Police Department.

Body found near Muscatine

By the Muscatine Journal

EARLIER STORY: MUSCATINE, Iowa — An autopsy was scheduled for

8:30 a.m. today in Iowa City on a body found Tuesday evening near a wooded area west of Muscatine.

No details about the body were immediately available. An investigation was being conducted by members of the Muscatine County Attorney’s Office, Muscatine County Sheriff’s Office and Muscatine Police Department.

Funks Hill Road was closed overnight in the area where the body was found near Burlington Road in Muscatine County. A mobile command center was set up to provide lights for investigators, who were expected to work through the night.