Body found in bushes near highway was a female

The Miami-Dade medical examiner’s office said Wednesday the body found by a work crew toiling along the Palmetto Expressway Tuesday was a female.

It was found in the same general area -- the southern embankment of State Road 826’s eastbound side, near 12th Avenue -- as the abandoned car of Miami Shores resident Jennifer Bennett earlier this month. The body hasn’t been identified yet.

After almost exhausting a chainsaw to get to the body, Miami Gardens police managed to remove it from the tree branches around 3:45.

They handed off the body to the Miami-Dade medical examiner's office.

This story was originally published June 28, 2016 at 2:42 PM with the headline "Body found in bushes near highway was a female."