Poquoson Police are still investigating the death of a 38-year-old Newport News man, but say they have a lead and person of interest they are following up on.
Poquoson Police Chief Clifford T. Bowen said investigators are not calling the early February death of Carl A. Emmett a “homicide,” but are still waiting on a full autopsy report from the Tidewater district office of the state medical examiner.
While cause and manner of death have not yet been determined, police are considering Emmett’s death a “suspicious” incident.
“We do believe there’s a person who could help us and provide information on where he was and who he was with in the 24, 48 hours before he was discovered,” Bowen said.
Emmett was found dead in a small pickup around 9:30 a.m. Feb. 4 on Locust Run in Poquoson, the department said in a Facebook post.
The vehicle was parked near the intersection of Bunting Lane, between the first and second house on the right of Locust Lane.
There were no obvious signs of trauma to Emmett’s body, police said.
A search warrant filed Feb. 5 in the York-Poquoson Circuit Court said the “positioning on the body” indicated Emmett did not drive himself to the location. The vehicle was also left in drive and “wasn’t parked very well.”
The warrant also indicated Emmett did not have any association with people in Poquoson.
“We don’t know for sure what happened,” Bowen said. “Here’s certainly a plausible explanation, but we don’t know.”
The police department hopes to gain more information through the autopsy and associated toxicology reports, as well as through interviews with the person of interest and witness statements.
Police are still trying to find that person.
Bowen did not have a time frame for when the autopsy results will be completed by the medical examiner.
Bowen said the police department’s requests on Facebook for additional information have already prompted some valuable tips in the case, and asks those with information relating to Emmett’s death contact police directly.
Anyone with information relating to the case should contact the Poquoson Police Department at 757-868-3501.
Emmett’s family is also offering an additional cash reward of $2,500 for information that would help police solve the case.
