JCC Police Investigate Burning Body on Roadside

By Sam Thrift Wednesday, January 04, 2012

James City County Police found a burning body on the side of the road in the 9300 block of Merrimac Trail last night.

According to Maj. Steve Rubino of the James City County Police Department, motorists reported seeing a brush fire around 7 p.m. on Merrimac Trail, also known as Route 143, going south towards Newport News, not far from the Merrimac Juvenile Detention Center and Virginia Peninsula Regional Jail.

When the police arrived on scene, they discovered that a body had been set on fire.

Rubino said some form of accelerant had been doused on the body of what they believe to be a black male victim. The victim had tattoos on his body.

Police are treating the death as suspicious and waiting for the Medical Examiner's office to make a determination on the cause of death. Anyone with information is asked to call the Crime Line at 1-888-LOCK-U-UP.