Body found in I-40 trash container near Benson

Benson, N.C. — The Johnston County Sheriff's Office is investigating the discovery of a middle-aged white man's body in a trash bin 3 miles north of Benson. The dumpster is near a rest stop on Interstate 40, near mile-marker 324.

The westbound area of the rest area was closed for a time Tuesday night as deputies and State Bureau of Investigation agents combed the scene for evidence. The Department of Transportation was also assisting with traffic control while the entrance to the rest area was blocked off with crime-scene tape.

The body was taken to the Office of the Chief State Medical Examiner in Chapel Hill for an autopsy.

A supervisor for the rest-area staff said workers dump garbage in the container after every shift. He also said the public is not supposed to use it.

The worker who disposed of the garbage after his shift at 3 p.m. Tuesday didn't notice anything unusual; however, sometime around 6 p.m. a man's body was found inside the container, the supervisor said.

Who found the body was unclear.

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Latest Comments

The poor man identified on www.wtsbradio.com

news4u
January 7, 2009 4:16 p.m.

"Infant?, Adult?, Teen?, Man/woman? I really don't see why WRAL would have wasted their time posting this." ...whatusay

I am very glad to see WRAL post this. Not only for traffic reasons but what about the people that live in that area? They need to be aware of their surroundings as well. Thanks WRAL... this isn't too far from me!

Weetie
January 7, 2009 1:29 p.m.

No mention if the body sustained any trauma. Could it be a vagrant was "dumpster-diving" and suffered a fatal heart attack?

colliedave
January 7, 2009 11:20 a.m.

I'm sure the details here are sketchy for one big reason: The person was likely just a traveler and their killer is now driving around in their vehicle. Theoretically, it would be easier to catch them in it if they don't know that they're being hunted in it...so they don't disclose the victim's name and info, nor their car make/model/tag number. Not yet, anyway.

Remember, they used calls from Michael Jordan's dad's car to find Green and Demery...

simracer68
January 7, 2009 10:41 a.m.

momee, If you check the post time for whatusay it was last night when this was a breaking story and no information was included in the article. Research before you comment.

mathforall
January 7, 2009 10:39 a.m.