UPDATE:
The man found dead in East Gainesville on Tuesday was shot, Gainesville Police said Friday.
Michael Brooks, 27, of Durham, North Carolina, was shot several times, but the number of times is unknown, spokesperson Jorge Campos wrote in an email.
Brooks was in Gainesville several days before his death, Campos said. The investigation is ongoing.
ORIGINAL:
Gainesville Police are investigating the murder of a man found dead Tuesday night in East Gainesville.
Michael Brooks, 27, of Durham, North Carolina, was found dead in a vacant lot on the 600 block of Northeast 15th Terrace, according to a press release. Police believe he was murdered.
It is unknown why Brooks was in Gainesville, the release said.
Police have not released details about how or when Brooks died, said GPD spokesperson Jorge Campos at a press conference Wednesday afternoon.
“Typically in an investigation, we look at the whereabouts of where the victim was prior to them being found in the state they’re found, so the detectives are scouring through as much information as possible,” Campos said.
Residents walking through the lot to cut from one neighborhood to another called the police when they found Brooks lying on the ground, Campos said.
This is the ninth murder the GPD has worked on since Jan. 1, 2017, Campos said. The previous eight murders all ended in arrests.
Brooks’ case is rare because there have not been any acquaintances or witnesses with information, Campos said.
“There was usually information that came about very quickly,” he said. “This one’s out of the norm.”
Anyone with information can call the lead detective, Ken Davies, at 352-393-7656. To remain anonymous, people can call Alachua County Crime Stoppers at 352-372-STOP.
Contact Jessica Curbelo at jcurbelo@alligator.org and follow her on Twitter at @jesscurbelo.
