DENVER – Police are investigating after a man’s remains were discovered inside two suitcases near the Sanderson Gulch Trail in Denver’s Mar Lee neighborhood.
Denver7 received messages from local residents about the discovery of the bags and asked the police for more information. Lt. Matt Clark of the Denver Police Department’s Serious Crimes Division discussed the case at a news conference on Wednesday afternoon.
Press conference: investigation underway after remains of man found in suitcases near the Denver trail
The department confirmed that police officers were called to the 1700 block of S. Java Way on Tuesday morning in reports of suspicious bags by the side of the road and found the remains inside.
The Medical Examiner’s Office (OME) confirmed that the remains belonged to an adult white man on Wednesday, Clark said. He said it looked like the man was “recently deceased”, although the exact date he died will be determined by the OME.
An employee at Denver Parks and Recreation, with whom Denver7 spoke on Wednesday, said one of the department’s employees found his bags at around 7:15 am on Tuesday, while shoveling snow off the Sanderson Gulch trail.
Neighbors also said that the detectives they spoke to told them that there were remains in the suitcases. Candy Romero, one of the neighbors, said the police went door to door in the area asking if the neighbors saw anything or had any surveillance videos.
Clark confirmed on Wednesday afternoon that the police were working to obtain a private surveillance video of nearby houses.
A neighbor, who spoke to Denver7 on condition that she remain anonymous, said she asked a police officer who knocked on her door whether the victim was male or female.
“He mentioned that it is very difficult to say when the body parts are wrapped up, but the foot looks the same, whether male or female, so basically he couldn’t tell me,” said the woman.
Lieutenant Clark said the police are investigating the case as a homicide, but added that the OME would determine whether the man’s death was a homicide and what was the cause of the death.
Police have so far not identified any cases of missing person in Denver that could be related to the man’s remains, but Clark said the investigation is still in its early stages and will be expanded in the coming days. He said the afternoon press conference hopes to bring more clues to the case.
Investigators at the DPD crime lab are also working to obtain any physical evidence of the scene, suitcases or remains, Clark said.