SALISBURY – Investigators have officially confirmed the identity of a man whose body was found in a wooded area off Stokes Ferry Road a week ago.
Authorities say Bryan Eugene Merrill, 25, was found in the woods by an employee of ABC Professional Tree Service.
An employee with the company, which contracts with Union Power Company, told investigators that while he was mowing, he found a person hanging from a tree just inside the woods.
The body was male and was found sitting on the ground with a belt wrapped around his neck, officials said. The belt was tied to a pine tree branch about six feet above the ground.
Investigators said in a statement that Merrill had been living near the crime scene, on Wyatt’s Grove Church Road.
Merrill is believed to have died in early January 2012. Investigators said foul play was not a factor in Merrill’s death.
He will be buried 3 p.m. Thursday at Rowan Memorial Park.