Police find body in Cape home; Suspicious death, report authorities

by CONNOR HOLMES
published in the Cape Coral Daily Breeze 3/31/09

Many questions remained unanswered Monday evening after the smell of a decaying body led police to what they have coined a "suspicious death" in a south Cape Coral home.

A neighbor smelled the rotten scent and contacted police, who discovered a body inside an apartment at 4921 Coronado Parkway at about 7:56 a.m., according to city spokesperson Connie Barron.

The individual's identity and the manner in which he or she died had not been released Monday night as the Cape Coral Police Department's investigation into the death continues.

As forensic technicians, detectives and medical examiners shuffled in and out of the yellow-taped crime scene Monday afternoon, the scent of decay wafting through the air , the surrounding neighborhood seemed juxtaposed. Residents rode bikes, walked their children and pets, and spoke of the peaceful nature of their neighborhood.

"It's been pretty quiet," said 8-year area resident John Daly as he watched the commotion. "There's a lot of empty houses around here. It's kind of surprising; there's not too much crime that I know of."

"It's a quiet neighborhood," said another resident, who requested not to be identified by name. "I have no qualms."

The resident said he has heard loud music at times, but nothing out of the ordinary.

"That's just a normal thing in any neighborhood," he said.

Neighbor Brandon Thornburg said he knew of a resident, named "Ginny," of another apartment in the complex where the body was found.

"She told me that yesterday there was an odd smell and that this morning the smell got worse," he said.

Before Thornburg could get any details from her, Ginny told him that she was speaking with Cape police and could not talk.

"It's weird," Thornburg said. "You come home and there's police tape all over the place."

According to previous police documents, an individual by the name of Ginny Lee lived in the complex as of May.

Attempts to contact Lee were unsuccessful Monday evening.

In June, a death occurred in the same complex, according to police documents.

Barron said the 2008 death was caused by a drug overdose.