Houston police have launched a homicide investigation after a man was discovered hanging beneath the I-610 North Loop overpass late Thursday night.
Authorities say officers responded around 11 p.m. to the 7600 block of North Loop East after Union Pacific Railroad employees reported a brush fire under the overpass. When the Houston Fire Department arrived to extinguish the flames, they made a grim discovery — a man’s body hanging underneath the middle section of the overpass, showing visible burn injuries.
“The call originally came through as a brush fire,” said Lt. Khan with the Houston Police Department. “When firefighters arrived, they found the victim and immediately notified us. Unfortunately, the individual was already deceased.”
Investigators describe the victim as a man between 40 and 50 years old. His identity has not been released pending confirmation and notification of next of kin.
HPD said the cause of death will be determined by the Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences. While detectives have not ruled anything out, they noted that the circumstances “seem very unlikely” to suggest suicide.
The Houston Police Homicide Division is urging anyone with information to call 713-308-3600 or reach out anonymously through Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS