A routine shift at a Cumming Walmart turned grim when a teenage employee called 911 about a van that had not moved for several days in the Peachtree Parkway parking lot. Deputies arrived to find a man lying on a mattress in the back of the vehicle and pronounced him dead at the scene. Investigators say they are still working to identify the man and figure out how long he had been inside the van.
How deputies responded
According to WSB‑TV, the store manager told deputies the van was often seen in the lot and had developed a "nasty odor" that finally pushed the teenage worker to make the call to 911. Deputies, firefighters and the coroner moved the mattress onto a tarp and placed the body into body bags to help mask the smell, the sheriff's office said.
A license‑plate check showed a Wisconsin tag registered to a 66‑year‑old, although officials said it was not immediately clear whether that person was the one found inside the van.
Identity still unknown
As WSB‑TV reports, the dead man has still not been identified. Detectives are continuing to process the scene and have not released a cause of death or a timetable for when the coroner's findings will be made public. The sheriff's office has not provided additional details about any potential next steps in the investigation.
Where it happened
The van was parked in the lot at the Walmart on Peachtree Parkway in Cumming, along the city's busy retail corridor. Emergency crews stayed on scene while investigators examined the vehicle and the surrounding area.
Next steps
Forsyth County deputies and the coroner will continue working to confirm the man's identity and handle any follow‑up investigation. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Forsyth County Sheriff's Office non‑emergency dispatch at 770‑781‑3087 or Crime Stoppers at 770‑888‑7308, numbers listed on the Forsyth County Sheriff's Office website.
