A Coral Bay property owner checking on his land was shocked to find a man hanging from a tree on an adjacent property on Tuesday afternoon, April 13.
The incident is being handled as a suicide and V.I. Police Department officials did not suspect foul play.
The deceased, who was discovered on Tuesday afternoon, April 13, around 3 p.m., was a 64-year-old white male. He was found hanging from a tree in the Lower Estate Carolina section of Coral Bay, according to information from the V.I. Police Department.
“No foul play has been suspected,” said VIPD spokesperson Melody Rames. “The case is being treated as a suicide, but the cause of death can only be determined by a medical examiner.”
The Coral Bay property owner who discovered the body immediately called the VIPD, he explained. The man asked not to be identified.
“The police responded promptly and with complete professionalism,” said the property owner. “I met the officer at the Coral Bay substation and showed him to the site. Several other officers arrived at the site after we were there.”
“VIPD Officer Vanterpool was the officer I met and he was completely professional,” said the Coral Bay resident.
The deceased man was reportedly living in a camper on the land, which is located in the Coral Bay valley behind the Domino Gas Station. He was reported last seen late the previous week, according to the Coral Bay resident who discovered the body.
The victim had a dog which lived with him on the property, but is now being cared for by family, the resident added.
The incident was the first suicide of the year reported on St. John following a woman who was found hanging from a Westin Resort and Villas shower curtain rod in November 2009. The woman’s family, however, continues to fight that charge.
