Police treating decomposed body found in Lansing manhole as 'suspicious death investigation'

Kara Berg | Lansing State Journal

Show Caption Hide Caption Lansing police working to extract decomposed body from manhole Lansing police put up tarps around a manhole as they prepare to pull a body out of the sewer.

LANSING — Human remains discovered Tuesday in a Lansing sewer line have been taken to a local hospital for an autopsy and forensic analysis, officials said.

Lansing police were working with Michigan State Police and the Ingham County Medical Examiner's Office on what they termed a "suspicious death investigation."

The body was discovered about 10 a.m. by a public service employee doing a routine check on the sewer system, Lansing Police Department Public Information Director Robert Merritt said.

The body was found at the intersection of Herbert and Wilson streets, less than half-mile south of the Grand River, Merritt said.

The body was in a state of advanced decomposition, Merritt said.

The medical examiner will do an autopsy to determine the cause of death. The results most likely won't be available for 24 to 48 hours, Merritt said.

Contact Kara Berg at 517-377-1113 or kberg@lsj.com. Follow her on Twitter @karaberg95.