Man found dead at Clay County apartment complex

Medical examiner to determine whether foul play involved

CLAY COUNTY, Fla. – A man, believed to be in his 30s, was found dead Wednesday morning at an apartment complex, the Clay County Sheriff's Office said. 

Neighbors found the man's body Wednesday morning in a grassy area between two buildings at the Bluff House apartment complex on Wells Road, west of Blanding Boulevard and the Orange Park Mall.

Detectives were on scene at the apartment complex for several hours, speaking with neighbors and walking around the property in hopes of learning what exactly led to the man's death.

"It's scary. It would be for anybody, waking up and seeing crime scene tape up and police out here," said Peggy Gano, who has lived in the complex for 18 years. "Of course, I'd like to know what happened."

While Gano can't recall an investigation of this magnitude in recent memory, she said things overall have changed for the worse. 

"It's kind of gone downhill," she said. "If you kind of just look around the property, you can tell that no one really cares. And most of the residents do most of the cleaning because no one wants to look at it."

The Sheriff's Office was still working to notify the man's family and pinpoint how he died. With few answers at this point, Gano questions whether she even wants to continue to living in the complex.

"I know crime happens everywhere, that's a given," she said. "But ... I don't know."

It will be up to a medical examiner to determine whether foul play was involved. 


About the Author:

Ashley Harding joined the Channel 4 news team in March 2013. She reports for and anchors The Morning Show.