Body found inside McCarroll House

The corpse of male subject was found in an advanced state of decomposition inside the McCarroll House at 285 East Van Dorn Avenue, Saturday afternoon.

Holly Springs Police Chief Darryl Bowens said a man and his son, who were searching for civil war relics in the yard on the property, looked inside the window of the house and saw the body. The house has been vacant for a number of years. The owner had given permission for the father and son to look for buried trinkets in the yard, he said.

Bowens said it appeared the deceased had entered through a window and was partially covered with a blanket.

The body was lying face up. Bowens said there is onlyone missing person reported in the city.

(The South Reporter is withholding the name of the missing person until the man has been identified.)

He estimated the man to be about 5-feet-10 and weighing about 180 pounds.

Marshall County coroner James Richard Anderson said he was called at about 2:28 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 24 and arrived on the scene around 3:20 p.m.

First responders with the Holly Springs Fire Department were inside the house when he arrived.

Anderson said the body was covered with a blanket and towel like the subject had been trying to keep warm.

The owner opened a door to let first responders enter the house, the coroner said.

He said the body was found on the floor of a utility room off a kitchen area.

Anderson said it appeared the deceased may have entered the utility room through a window.

The body was fully clothed and the subject was wearing red, white, and blue tennis shoes.

No identification was found on the body, he said.

He estimated the man to be about five feet eight inches in height and, based upon the appearance of the corpse, he estimated the body had been there less than one year.

The body was sent to the Mississippi Medical Examiner's office in Pearl for autopsy.

Anderson said he does not expect a quick turnaround on the autopsy findings because of a large backlog of forensic work in Pearl.