Man found hanging and on fire under Houston freeway

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Officials said firefighters initially responded to what they thought was a brush fire, but when the flames were out, they discovered a man’s body hanging from the underside of the freeway and partially burned.

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Union Pacific employees first spotted the fire and called it in, not realizing a body was involved. Lt. Khan with HPD said it’s unclear where the man was initially set on fire, whether near a nearby homeless encampment or directly beneath the overpass. “We do not know the circumstances surrounding the incident. There are no witnesses at this time that have come forward,” she said. The identity of the deceased male, believed to be between 40 to 50 years old, is pending notification to family members by the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences. Investigators said it’s also uncertain whether the man died from the hanging or the fire. That will be determined by the medical examiner’s autopsy.

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Khan said it appears “highly unlikely, almost impossible” that the death was a suicide, noting that “he’s not just hanging, there’s also the fire.” Officers were seen taking photos and collecting evidence late into the night as traffic passed nearby. Police urge anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers or the Houston Police Homicide Division.

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