A normally low-key stretch of North Pearl Street has become the focus of a police investigation after a body was discovered outdoors in the 1500 block, officials said. Denver officers responded to the scene as detectives began processing the area, treating it as a death investigation rather than a confirmed crime scene for now.
The Denver Police Department shared an alert on X describing the situation as an outdoor death investigation in the 1500 block of N. Pearl. The post noted that the Denver Office of the Medical Examiner will determine the cause and manner of death and added, in no-nonsense fashion, that “we will only update this thread if the status of this investigation changes to a homicide,” according to the Denver Police Department.
Medical Examiner Will Determine Cause
The Denver Office of the Medical Examiner is now handling the crucial next steps. The office investigates suspicious, sudden, and unattended deaths and is responsible for certifying the cause and manner of death, including performing autopsies and toxicology testing, according to the Office of the Medical Examiner. The agency also provides support services to families while examinations and official notifications are carried out.
How To Report Tips
Investigators are asking for the public’s help. Anyone who sees something unfolding in real time is urged to call or text 911 for emergencies, and the department also listed its non-emergency police services line for other information, according to the Denver Police Department. Tipsters who prefer to stay out of the spotlight can submit information anonymously to Metro Denver Crime Stoppers at 720-913-STOP (7867), per Metro Denver Crime Stoppers.
Context
Denver police routinely put out similar alerts when a body is found outdoors while they and the medical examiner sort out whether foul play is involved. Some of those cases have later been upgraded to homicide after autopsy results or additional investigative findings pointed in that direction. For example, Denver Gazette reported on a comparable investigation that took a more serious turn once the medical examiner’s work was complete.
