Meridian police announced Monday that the June 28 death of David Caraway has been ruled a homicide.

The body of Caraway, a homeless man formerly from Hickory, was found in a Meridian alley June 30. Capt. James Sharpe, commander of the MPD’s Investigative Division, said Monday afternoon in a news release the death of the 52-year old man was ruled a homicide based on information from the preliminary autopsy report submitted by medical examiners from Jackson.

He said Caraway’s death, according to the autopsy report, was caused by blunt force trauma to the internal organs as a result of a physical assault. Caraway also suffered from superficial wounds to his head and face area as well as defensive wounds to his hands, Sharpe said.

The ruling was made days ago, but officials didn’t release it until Monday.

“We withheld the cause of death and the type of investigation we were conducting because we believed at the time we were pretty close to a solution in the case,” Sharpe said. “We just didn’t want to jeopardize the investigation. We were basically already working on a cold case given the time between the actual incident and the time the body was found.”

A passerby who walks to work noticed Caraway’s body early in the morning on June 30. He notified local authorities and MPD patrol units arrived at the scene, located in an alley separating the rear of Hope Village Thrift Store on Eighth Street and Jubilee Mennonite Church on 28th Avenue, at 7:38 a.m., according to Sharpe.

“At the time Caraway’s body was found, detectives felt foul play may have been a contributing factor … the detectives and suspect, or suspects, were the only ones who knew anything for certain,” Sharpe said. “For that reason we chose not to say anything hoping we could close in on the suspect, or suspects, quickly.”

The suspicions held by detectives at the time the body was found were confirmed upon receiving the preliminary autopsy results July 1.

This is not the first time detectives with the MPD have been faced with an uphill climb in terms of trying to solve a homicide.

On April 29, the body of 45-year old James Ray Sims was discovered by relatives inside his home located at 3437 12th Ave. Preliminary autopsy results showed Sims had been shot to death and that he’d been dead between 10 to 12 days.

“Cases don’t get much colder than that,” said Sharpe referring to the Sims investigation.

No one has been arrested in the Sims homicide.

MPD detectives are still awaiting the final autopsy and toxicology reports for Caraway.

Sharpe urged citizens of Meridian who have any information concerning Caraway’s daily activities, friends, and visited locations, to contact the Investigative Division at (601) 485-1859.