Update: Police identify victim in Wednesday's downtown murder

Des Moines police have labeled the death of a man found under a downtown bridge Wednesday afternoon a murder, upgrading it from what they had initially termed a death investigation.

Des Moines Police Sgt. Chris Scott said detectives have also identified the man, thought to be in his 50s, but will not release the name until they contact family members.

A passerby discovered the body around 4 p.m. Wednesday near a walking trail on the west bank of the Des Moines River, about a block south of the Court Avenue bridge. He didn’t have a working cell phone, so he found a nearby construction worker who called police.

Authorities interviewed him, but he is not believed to be a suspect, Scott said.

Investigators also spoke to several other potential witnesses.

A medical examiner will conduct an autopsy to determine the cause of death. The body was not in the water and police don’t believe the victim drowned, Scott said. Officers found visible injuries on the victim but are not releasing the nature of the injuries.

Authorities can’t say yet how long the man was laying near the path before he was discovered.

This was Des Moines' sixth murder of the year.

Tags: body, Des Moines police, des moines river

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