Body found in field is likely transient man, Sheriff’s Office says

Human remains found Monday afternoon by a landowner mowing in a field are likely that of a transient man, a Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office official said.

“We are currently working to positively determine the man’s identity,” Lt. Lin Dehning said in an e-mailed response to questions Tuesday. He added that the body was in “an advanced state of decomposition” when it was discovered south of a home in the 14800 block of West 13th Street North, which makes immediately identifying the man difficult.

The coroner’s office was conducting an autopsy on the body Tuesday to determine how he died. But Dehning said at this point investigators “do not have any evidence to indicate foul play (was involved) in this man’s death.”

“We will not release any more details about the identification until we are absolutely sure who he is,” Dehning said. Authorities do not think the man was the subject of a missing person’s report.

This story was originally published May 16, 2017 at 12:22 PM with the headline "Body found in field is likely transient man, Sheriff’s Office says."