Police are investigating after a dead body was found in a sealed barrel along Red Willow Creek near Bayard.
According to Morrill County Sheriff Milo Cardenas, a local farmer discovered the barrel and body early Friday afternoon about four miles east of Bayard near County Road 104 and immediately called the Sheriff’s Office.
Initial investigations show that the man has been dead for 48 hours; no immediate signs of trauma or cause of death were discovered.
Sheriff Cardenas says that authorities suspect foul play, as the body was sealed in the 55-gallon barrel with a screwed on lid.
Cardenas said that the male body has not been identified, and that no missing persons have been reported in the area. An autopsy has been scheduled for Monday at Regional West Medical Center to determine cause of death.
He said they will use DNA to attempt to determine the identity of the middle-aged male. Those who have information on the case are encouraged to contact the Morrill County Sheriff’s Office at (308) 262-0408.