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Mangled body found along I-215, UHP investigating case as a homicide for now

Posted at 9:26 PM, Jul 07, 2018
and last updated 2018-07-07 23:26:24-04

SALT LAKE CITY -- The Utah Highway Patrol is investigating a homicide case after construction workers found a body along I-215 Saturday morning around 8 a.m.

The body was found in the area of southbound I-215 near 2600 North.

Investigators say the death is very suspicious. The Medical Examiner's office had not been able to identify the body by Saturday night, but detectives do have some ideas as to what might have happened.

Trekking through the tall weeds along I-215 in Salt Lake City, two surveyors were following a gas pipeline on the west side of the southbound lanes when something caught their eye.

“We saw the clothes," pipeline surveyor Jarod Wesolowski said. "In the back of your mind you fear for it and then of course we saw the body so right away call the authorities and let them know."

Investigators say the body was found 15 feet off the roadway and that it had likely been there for a day or two.

Wesolowski described the body as badly mangled.

UHP troopers blocked off several lanes and the 2100 North exit from 9 a.m. until after noon.

“That is all part of the scene, all of this area here is part of our investigation,” UHP Lt. Wade Breur said.

They're paying special attention to fresh skid marks on the road that appear to go right where the body was found.

“Either the body was struck by a vehicle or the body was dumped here,” Lt Breur said.

Detectives are now working to find out which one it is and more importantly who is responsible.

While the surveyors don't know what happened to this person, they're grateful to have been in the area that has almost no foot traffic.

“Very rarely, so he wouldn't have been there for a while," Wesolowski said. "At least we got him in a couple of day's span and not where he was already decomposed and unidentifiable."

The investigation continues as the State Medical Examiner will work to identify the body as well as determine a cause of death.