FAYETTEVILLE -- An autopsy for an unidentified man's body found in a burning car Monday morning could provide information on the victim's identity and cause of death as soon as today, a police spokesman said.
In a news release Monday, Fayetteville police said firefighters and officers responded to a car on fire about 3 a.m. near On The Mark Sports Bar and Grill at 2588 N. Gregg Ave. The victim's body was found after the fire was extinguished, according to the release.
"It was completely engulfed in flames -- the vehicle was actually reduced to basically a shell," said Sgt. Craig Stout.
Investigators have an idea of who the victim might be, but no information will be released until an autopsy at the state Crime Laboratory in Little Rock can confirm identity and cause of death, Stout said. Whether there was foul play and whether the victim was dead before the fire started also will remain unknown until those results, he said.
"We always have to treat every situation as a homicide until we prove otherwise," Stout said. "Obviously, there weren't a lot of witnesses."
The Fayetteville fire marshal also is investigating the cause of the fire.
NW News on 08/04/2015