Warren County Coroner John Thomason, left, and Vicksburg Police Sgt. Doug King carry an unidentified body from a wooded area behind a Vicksburg motel off Washington Street Wednesday. (The Vicksburg Post/MELANIE DUNCAN)

[11/08/01]Police recovered a badly decomposed body Wednesday in a wooded area behind a Vicksburg motel.

Spokesman Jamee Carter said all involved will work to establish an identity for the remains, found around 2:30 p.m. east of the Dixiana Motel, 4041 Washington St. Carter said it was not clear if the person was male or female or how long the body had been there.

“This will be investigated as criminal until that can be ruled out,” Carter said.

The body was found by a man walking in the area looking for aluminum cans. He notified the No. 7 Fire Station and firefighters called police, Carter said.

Warren County Coroner John Thomason said the body was found in a “severely weathered” sleeping bag on a hillside between the railroad tracks and Washington Street. Thomason said it appeared the sleeping bag had rolled down the hill.

He said that it could be some time before the body is identified, but the cause of death should be known in about two weeks.

“There’s not much there to do an autopsy with,” Thomason said.

The body was being sent to Mississippi Mortuary in Jackson today where efforts will be made to determine the cause of death. Thomason said there appears to have been some dental work done on the person and that dental records may be used in identification.