Body with gunshot wounds found in burning dumpster outside church, Virginia cops say
Firefighters discovered a badly burnt human body inside of a dumpster that had gone up in flames outside of a Virginia church, police said.
The Portsmouth Fire Department received an emergency call just before 2 a.m. Nov. 19, reporting a dumpster fire on the grounds of Bethel Worship Center Church International, according to a search warrant obtained by WVEC.
When firefighters made the disturbing discovery, they called the Portsmouth Police Department, which later found an empty cartridge casing and blood stains beside the dumpster, the outlet reported.
Details around the incident remain murky, but a recent autopsy revealed the person sustained several gunshot wounds to the head, back and thigh and had bullet fragments in the foot, WTKR reported. The death is being investigated as a second-degree murder case, according to court records.
McClatchy News reached out to the Portsmouth Police Department on Nov. 20 but did not receive a response.
Police told WKTR security footage from a nearby residence shows two people walking near the scene. At this time, no suspects have been identified, authorities said.
According to a Nov. 19 Facebook post, Bethel Worship Center Church International canceled its food pantry that day “due to unforeseen circumstances.”
“Sometimes people have to understand that what they do doesn’t just affect them or people in their close proximity. It affects a lot more people,” Herman Dixon, pastor of Bethel Worship Center Church International, told WAVY.
McClatchy News reached out to the church Nov. 20 but did not receive a response.
Police are still working to identify the victim, local outlets reported.
