SF authorities seek help identifying man found dead in vacant lot
The San Francisco Police Department provided a rendering of the unidentified man.
SAN FRANCISCO - The San Francisco Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME) is seeking the public's help to identify a man who was found dead in an abandoned lot in SoMa.
The backstory:
San Francisco Fire Department units were called to a water-filled lot at 348 5th Street on Oct. 22 and found the man lying in the water, according to a statement from the medical examiner's office.
He was declared dead at the scene. Authorities have yet to determine the cause and the manner of the man's death.
The medical examiner's office noted typical investigatory methods employed by medical examiners – including fingerprint checks and DNA testing – usually result in a positive identification of a person "within 24 hours." However, the office said in a statement that "in this rare case… investigatory methods have not resulted in an identification."
What we know:
Authorities described the man as being white and about 50-years-old, with brown hair and brown eyes. The man is also 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighs 168 pounds.
He was found wearing several layers of clothing, including an AJAX East Bay sweatshirt, a Kobe Bryant #24 jersey and a Lakers #8 jersey.
Anyone with information on the man's identity or death is asked to contact the OCME Investigative Division at 415-641-2220 or by email at OCME.INV@SFGOV.ORG or OCME@SFGOV.ORG and reference case number 2024-1309.
The Source: San Francisco Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, San Francisco Fire Department, San Francisco Police Department