Body Found at a Soddy Daisy Cemetery Ruled a Homicide Investigation

The victim has now been identified as 51-year-old Tony S. Rector of Marion County.

His death has been ruled as a homicide.

The Hamilton County Sheriffs’ Department is assisting in the investigation.

SODDY-DAISY, TN (WDEF-TV) – The Soddy Presbyterian Cemetery was not supposed to be this man’s final resting place, but passers-by found his body at the edge around 10:30 Tuesday morning, and it was not fully clothed.

Lieutenant Jeff Gann, with the Soddy Daisy Police Department, says, "Suspicious, sure, until we can prove otherwise."

Soddy-Daisy Police confirm the person found is a white male, but could not tell us about how old.

No identification was found on or near the man.

Lt. Gann says, "We’re not sure where any of this took place and how the body actually got here. That’s what the investigators and detectives are working on now."

Multiple agencies are investigating this suspicious death, including the Hamilton County Medical Examiner’s Office.

Police hope finger prints or dental records will confirm an identity.

At this point, no reports of a missing person have been made.

And as far at this area off Hixson Pike and Holly Circle being a crime-ridden area?

"Not in this area, not at all, according to Lt. Gann

Detectives are going door-to-door trying to put this "sad puzzle together, " so yellow flowers can eventually replace yellow crime scene tape.

Lt. Gann says, "I know there’s a lot of questions. I have a lot of questions, but bare with us as we continue on."