Police: Dead man had been working in house next door prior to disappearance

The man found dead in a crawl space beneath an abandoned house Thursday was working for a flooring company in the house next door when he went missing last week, Wichita police said Friday.

While they’re awaiting autopsy results to confirm the identity of the remains, authorities think it is Adam Moore, 40, of Augusta. Moore was reported missing June 21.

Moore was last seen June 18 and did not show up for work the next day, Wichita police Lt. James Espinoza said.

Police were called to 651 N. Edgemoor late Thursday morning by neighbors complaining of a strong odor. Officers forced their way into the house, but found nothing.

They then began checking beneath the house, where they found the body. Given the condition of the body, Espinoza said, the cause of death was unclear pending autopsy results.

Investigators think the man died last Thursday or Friday, he said. Evidence at the scene indicated the man was stealing copper and metal from the house, which has been abandoned for the past nine years.

Authorities had visited the same house earlier in the week looking for Moore, Espinoza said.

This story was originally published June 26, 2015 at 12:57 PM with the headline "Police: Dead man had been working in house next door prior to disappearance."