Charleston police have identified a man whose body was found in a vacant West Side property earlier this year, and say someone will probably face a charge related to the man's death "in the very near future."
The body of 53-year-old James Randolph Cook was severely decomposed when police found it on May 28, according to Lt. Steve Cooper, Charleston chief of detectives. Cook was homeless and squatting at the property, along with several other people.
Police had responded to reports of trespassing and a foul odor.
"When I arrived on scene I had a strong suspicion that we were looking for a dead body, as the odor was nearly unmistakable," Cooper said. "There's just nothing that smells identical to decomposing flesh and the hot weekend exacerbated it."
Detectives found Cook's decomposing body on an upstairs deck.
"We are still awaiting results from the medical examiner's office - examination of his body and toxicology reports," Cooper said. "Once we have those we believe we will be able to piece the incident together."
Cooper had said when the body was first found that police viewed the death as suspicious.
"At the conclusion of this investigation, I believe it's likely that criminal charges will be filed in this case," he said. "I cannot state what charges I believe will be filed until I get the report back from the medical examiner's office and review it with the prosecutor's office."
Toby Wagoner, a spokesman for the state Department of Health and Human Resources, said that of 1,057 cases opened in 2016, the state medical examiner's office currently has 62 cases older than 90 days old,, and that one of five medical examiner positions is vacant.
Cooper spoke with the medical examiner's office on Wednesday. He said he anticipated receiving the medical examiner's report "in the very near future."
"This is not a case where any local residents need to feel they are in any danger whatsoever," he said. "The circumstances are fairly clear."
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