Passing motorist finds dead man in car trunk

This car with a dead man in the trunk was discovered Monday morning in Houston. (Dale Lezon / Houston Chronicle) This car with a dead man in the trunk was discovered Monday morning in Houston. (Dale Lezon / Houston Chronicle) Photo: (Dale Lezon/Houston Chronicle) Photo: (Dale Lezon/Houston Chronicle) Image 1 of / 3 Caption Close Passing motorist finds dead man in car trunk 1 / 3 Back to Gallery

A passer-by looking through an idling car he saw in a ditch in east Houston found a man's body in the trunk, authorities said.

The man, identified as 28-year-old Donald Michael Lapointe of Houston, had been shot at least once in the chest, and his face was swollen and cut as if he had been beaten, said Jack Harvey, a homicide investigator with the Houston Police Department.

A bag of pills was found stuffed inside his pants.

The passer-by found the body about 4 a.m. Monday at 12800 Nimitz near Normandy.

He was driving with his wife and their 4-month child when he spotted a gold, four-door car nose down in the ditch.

The car was running and the windshield wipers were on.

Harvey said the passer-by told investigators he looked through the car for something he could take. Then he grabbed the keys from the ignition to look for stereo speakers in the trunk.

When he opened the trunk he found the body.

The passer-by drove to a nearby gas station and called 911.

Harvey said the passer-by and his wife are not a suspects in the killing.

The investigator said it appeared Lapointe had been shot elsewhere, placed in the trunk, driven to the area and left where he was found.

The car has not been reported stolen.

Investigators have no suspects or motive in the shooting.

dale.lezon@chron.com

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