Man found in van is ID’d
Ricki Barker
ALBANY — The Albany Police Department confirmed Monday afternoon that the identity of a body found in a red Ford Explorer near a wooded area March 11 is Leonard Wayne Higgins, 57, of Jacksonville, Fla.
“His family helped to confirm his identity Friday,” said APD spokeswoman Phyllis Banks.
Police said Monday that the exact cause of Higgins’ death is still unknown, but foul play is not suspected.
Banks added that investigators are still unclear as to how long the body had been in the vehicle before it was discovered.
“We are still awaiting toxicology reports,” she said.
The decomposing remains of Higgins was found in a red Ford Explorer by Ben Roberts, a Department of Natural Resources ranger.
While on a routine patrol of the area, Roberts said he found the Explorer on a dirt road across from a drainage ditch near the intersection of Clark Avenue and Broadway Street. The body had decomposed so badly police could not confirm the race.
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