GREENVILLE, N.C. (WITN) – The Greenville Police Department says a suspicious death on July 4 is now being ruled a homicide after an autopsy discovered the man was shot.
Officers say they arrived at Planet Fitness on Thomas Langston Road shortly before 1:00 a.m. Tuesday after a reported cardiac arrest.
When they got there, officers say they found 21-year-old Jayden Harrison dead in the parking lot.
Police say that an initial examination by the medical examiner on the scene showed the cause of death was inconclusive; however, an autopsy conducted Friday by the Pitt County Medical Examiner’s Office revealed Harrison had been shot.
Some questioned Greenville police on their Facebook page about why it took days to make the discovery that Harrison had been shot. The police department responded:
“We understand how it would seem as though it would be obvious. As we stated above, out of respect for the family and in keeping with the integrity of the investigation, we won’t get into detail on this particular case. However, generally speaking, there are a lot of cases where the condition that an individual is found in does not always make it readily apparent what occurred. There could be signs of trauma, but no clear signs of what caused the trauma. That’s what an autopsy is ultimately for. There is a lot more to the investigation than what is immediately visible to the eye. The Medical Examiner’s Office serves 30 counties in NC. Autopsies rarely take place the same day. Most are scheduled several days (in some cases several weeks) after the death occurs, depending on case volume.”
Man found dead in Greenville Planet Fitness parking lot
A police department spokeswoman said it appears Harrison had been working out at the gym that night.
Police ask anyone with additional information about this case to call Crime Stoppers at (252) 758-7777.
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