Man Found Dead Inside Car With Throat Cut Sparks Police Investigation

Missouri officers have launched an investigation into the death of a man who was found inside a vehicle with his throat slit, according to police.

St. Louis police found the man inside a white SUV in the 6200 block of Southwood Avenue, near Forest Park, on Monday, Fox 2 Now reported.

The network added that investigators believe the man was in his 30s or 40s and that the homicide unit was examining the area where the body was found.

Fox 2 Now described the death as "suspicious" and police are still carrying out an investigation.

Liz Panetta, who lives close to Forest Park, told Fox 2 Now: "It's shocking. This is the safest neighborhood.

"I mean, I never heard of anybody having a package stolen, being robbed, nothing. I walk, everyone walks all the time. I know people who have lived here for years and they don't even lock their doors."

Margaret Sullivan, who also lives in the area, told the network: "Not great, but it's never happened before. Anything like this has never happened. It's concerning, but it's surprising."

Sullivan's roommate, Mara Huckerman said: "You never want to know that there's 18 cop cars on your street. You just never want that to happen."

People with any information about the man's death have been asked to call Crimestoppers or police

Newsweek has contacted the Metropolitan Police Department of St. Louis for comment.

According to America's Health Rankings, an annual assessment of the nation's health, for decades Missouri has placed higher than the U.S. average for violent crime.

In 2019, the number of murders, rapes, robberies and aggravated assaults per 100,000 people in the state stood at 495.

In comparison, the average per 100,000 people across the U.S. stood at 379 in 2019.

Newsweek has reported on numerous cases across the U.S. where dead bodies have been found.

Earlier this month, the body of a 19-year-old woman who vanished in July last year was found in the same street where she was last seen.

Police in Cleveland, Ohio, said a cleaning worker found the body of Audreona Barnes on an apartment balcony.

The cleaner had been moving a pile of clothes when she found Barnes' body wrapped in a blanket.

It was not clear how long the body had been on the balcony, with the last tenant having been evicted in mid-March, according to reports.