LOS ANGELES — On Thursday, an employee of a rental truck company made a grim discovery in the back of a U-Haul truck in Southern California.

>> Read more trending news

Los Angeles Police Department officials said a body was discovered inside a U-Haul truck on Thursday just before 10:30 a.m. Officers went to the scene after residents had called a moving company to inform them that one of their trucks had been abandoned in their neighborhood, according to KTTV.

An employee opened the truck and found a tarp with what appeared to be human remains, according to the news outlet. The employee also noticed a strong odor so they contacted police.

“When they arrived they found what might be human remains in the back of the van,” said LAPD Lt. Robert Peters, according to KTTV. “The owners of the van, a rental company, were recovering the van which was reported stolen earlier this month and he found something in the back that might be human remains.”

The object in the back of the truck were confirmed to be human remains. The Los Angeles County coroner’s office identified the remains as Henry Jernigan, 50, according to KTLA.

Investigators said that it appeared that Jernigan died from an apparent gunshot wound to his head, the news outlet reported.

The U-Haul truck had reportedly been stolen for about a week before it was left abandoned, according to KTLA. The person who had rented the truck is not considered a suspect, police say.

© 2024 Cox Media Group