The Franklin County Coroner's Office has classified the death of Christopher Coleman, whose remains were discovered at an abandoned car wash last month, as a homicide. Coleman, 53, was found deceased in a car wash bay located in the 1500 block of Holt Road in southwest Columbus, according to a report by WBNS.
The grim discovery was made late at night on Oct. 9, and his body showed advanced decomposition, which led Sergeant Joe Albert of the Columbus Police to call in homicide detectives to take over the investigation; he spoke to WBNS last month, detailing their initial findings the autopsy report later confirmed as blunt impacts to the head prompting a homicide investigation.
Adding to the macabre scene, autopsy details released indicated that Coleman's death involved not just blunt force trauma to the head but also skeletal and soft tissue injuries, as well as post-mortem mutilation, as reported by FOX8. The site where Coleman's body was found, identified as the former Super Wash business, had been surrounded by a chain link fence and left to decay for a considerable time.
Information surrounding Coleman's activities before his death includes a disorderly conduct charge one month before the homicide. The Columbus Division of Police, while remaining tight-lipped due to the ongoing nature of the investigation, confirmed Coleman's death is a homicide investigation. However, they do not have any additional information, as noted by FOX8.
Local authorities seek information that could shed light on Coleman's untimely demise. As such, officials urge anyone with knowledge of the incident to come forward and contact Columbus Police, relayed by News Center 7 and other local media outlets. Investigators hope that public input will assist them in piecing together the sequence of events that culminated in the tragedy that unfolded in the desolate landscape of the abandoned car wash.
