LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Authorities have identified a man who was found murdered in the Shawnee neighborhood of west Louisville on Thursday.
According to a Jefferson County deputy coroner, that man has been identified as 57-year-old Levolia Smiley. He suffered a gunshot wound and "thermal injuries," which means the body was found with burns. But the exact cause of his death is pending.
Levolia Smiley (Image courtesy of Smiley's family)
Police say Smiley's body was found around noon on Feb. 21 in an alley off South 42nd Street near River Park Drive. Investigators initially said he appeared to have suffered some sort of trauma.
But according to the Jefferson County Coroner's preliminary findings, released Friday morning, Smiley suffered a gunshot wound and thermal injuries. The official cause of death will be determined in a few weeks, after the results of his autopsy are examined.
The case is now classified as a homicide.
.@LMPD says Major Crimes Unit and Metro Arson are investigating the death @WDRBNews pic.twitter.com/0QO03ZFP9i
— Valerie Chinn WDRB (@ValerieChinn) February 21, 2019
The Major Crimes Unit and Metro Arson are investigating. Neighbors at the scene did not want to talk.
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