Decomposed body found off Rattlesnake Key; Detectives hope sneaker can help with identification

MANATEE COUNTY — Manatee County Sheriff’s Office detectives are investigating an unidentified body found in Miguel Bay.

The badly decomposed body was first discovered by a boater on Saturday, May 11, in shallow water near Rattlesnake Key. Before deputies were able to recover the body, the current carried it away from that location. After an extensive search, MCSO's aviation unit and marine deputies located the body on the shoreline of Rattlesnake Key on Sunday morning.

Detectives did not find any identifying information with the body, and it is unknown how long it had been in the water or where it came from. The Medical Examiner is performing an autopsy on the remains this afternoon to begin the process of confirming gender and cause of death.

Detectives hope a sneaker description will help identify the victim, who was wearing a size 11, men’s, black and neon green Nike Free Trainer (stock photo below), and a white ankle-high athletic sock. These were among the only articles found with the decomposed body.

Following an autopsy performed on Monday, the Medical Examiner’s findings were inconclusive on the sex and race of the individual. Due to the advanced stages of decomposition, further testing is also necessary to determine age and gather DNA.