HARRIS COUNTY, Texas – A group of Boy Scouts was looking for a place to paintball in north Harris County on Monday when they spotted a dead man’s body.
Authorities said a Boy Scout leader and his troop from Tomball were driving near the intersection of Dowdell and Tuwa around 9:50 a.m. when the leader saw what he thought was a mannequin.
"The guy I was with that drove us here, he said, ‘Hey is that a mannequin?’ I’m like ,’No, it is so not,’" said Boy Scout Alex Butts.
The troop leader got out of the car and soon realized it was a man’s body, which was nude except for one sock.
The group’s first call was to police.
The victim’s identity was not known, but investigators said he had some unusual tattoos: a diamond, a heart, a club and a spade, all on his upper arms.
The body was taken to the medical examiner’s office for autopsy.
Residents who live near where the body was discovered told authorities about a suspicious vehicle that may have been at the scene overnight, but investigators would not say how long the victim may have been in the six-foot-deep ditch, next to the Willow Creek bridge.
"The most frightening thing is, it is right next to my neighborhood and my house," said Butts.
