Detectives are investigating a dead body that was found Saturday at the Okeechobee Waste Management Landfill at 10800 NE 128th Ave.
According to investigators, the man died from a single gunshot wound to the head. A gun was also found near the man's body in the landfill. However, the circumstances surrounding the man's death are still unclear.
Okeechobee County Sheriff's Office deputies responded to the landfill at approximately 11:25 Saturday night in reference to a reported dead person.
The body was discovered by a worker at the landfill who tipped the trash out of the semi and inspected the recently dumped load of garbage, according to the Okeechobee County Sheriff's Office.
OCSO says the worker was unsure at first if the body was real or if it was a mannequin.
The driver of the semi carrying the body picked up the load in Palm City at Martin County Solid Waste, according to Okeechobee County Sheriff's Office.
This is now a Martin County Sheriff's Office investigation.
Investigators say the initial information is leading them to believe this could have been a suicide, however nothing has been ruled out.
“We’re trying to determine whether the victim was right-handed or left-handed, based on the gunshot, where it was,” said Glenn Theobald, Chief Deputy of the Martin County Sheriff's Office. "Have they had any issues with business associates, family members things like that. Those are all the things we are tracking down one by one."
They are not identifying the man yet until family has been notified. Deputies say the man's family is all out of state or out of the country.
