Louisville police investigating after man's body found behind Valley Station cemetery

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- Police are investigating after a body was discovered behind a cemetery in Louisville's Valley Station neighborhood.

According to Maj. Corey Robinson, the Third Division commander for the Louisville Metro Police Department, officers were sent to the Bethany Memorial Cemetery in the 10000 block of Dixie Highway, near Bethany Lane, shortly after 11:45 a.m. Tuesday.

Robinson said members of the cemetery's maintenance crew discovered the body of a middle-aged man lying face-down in the ditch line behind the cemetery.

The man was obviously deceased, according to Robinson. Police said they do not know his identity or his cause of death.

"We try to be very careful to not assume that it's a natural cause or that it's something other than a crime," Robinson said. "So because of that, we practice scene integrity, make sure the officers are careful to not just walk around the scene haphazard, make sure that we take extra care."

According to Robinson, police are handling the case as a death investigation until cause of death can be determined and police learn whether foul play was involved. The LMPD Homicide Unit is currently handling the investigation.

Anyone with information is asked to call the LMPD crime tip line at 502-574-LMPD (5673). Anonymous tips can also be sent online through the Crime Tip Portal.