Canton police are investigating after the body of a Black male was found inside a makeshift living space within a storage container behind a business on the city’s west side.
According to a police report obtained by JMN, officers were called to the 1100 block of Tuscarawas Street W, behind the Saveway Market, on July 14 for a welfare check. A store employee told dispatchers that several customers had reported someone may be inside a storage container located behind the store. The employee said he was the only one working and could not leave the store to investigate.
Officers arrived and were led to a box truck container at the rear of the property. The container’s rolling door had a rectangular cutout fitted with a piece of plywood used as a makeshift door.
When officers opened the door, they discovered the male lying face down on the floor, unresponsive and showing signs of rigor mortis. The man was pronounced dead at the scene.
Inside the container, officers found what appeared to be a makeshift living space. The floor was carpeted and a bed was set up at the far end. There was also a shelf, a cooler, a fan, and a lamp—plugged into an extension cord—inside the unit. The lamp was illuminated, but the fan was off.
The man was nude except for a pair of white socks. A pair of pants and a belt were located underneath his torso.
Detectives and crime scene investigators responded to process the scene. A witness on a bicycle told police the container was known to be frequented by multiple individuals who reportedly used the space for shelter.
Police have not yet identified the man or determined a cause of death. However this case is not connected to the ongoing investigation into the disappearance of Ryan Godbey.
The investigation is ongoing.
