Evansville and Hopkins County (WFIE) - -
A body found in a burned-out car in Hopkins County over the weekend has been identified, and now, police want to know what lead to the Evansville man's death.
Thursday night, investigators continue to pour over evidence. Police know who the victim is, but they say they still don't know how, where, or when he died.
Police say the body found inside that burned out car is 26-year-old Brandon Draper of Evansville.
The car was found in a field just east of Morton's Gap about 5:00 a.m. Saturday morning.
Thursday, police say the car had been rented by Draper, and his body was found lying between the trunk and the backseat.
Police Sergeant Jason Cullum says investigators had tried to locate Draper over the weekend at a number of addresses, including the apartment at 841 Washington, but had no success.
And it wasn't until the renter called police Tuesday morning that police say they found that crime scene, and the pieces began to come together.
"We had two different scenes that had a common name and while we weren't 100% sure, that that's who the victim was going to be, that's the only common denominator that we had at the time was that name," Cullum told 14 News.
"We're looking to resolve the manner of death and the place of death," explained Hopkins County Sheriff Frank Latham. "Those are the two big questions now, that we're looking at. Evansville is hopefully going to answer some of those questions."
The Hopkins County Coroner tells us the positive ID was made through Draper's dental records.
At this point, Evansville Police say a cause of death and where it happened are very important, because whatever charges are filed, they must be filed in the county where the crime occurred.
14 News has learned from a family member of Brandon Draper that a memorial fund has been set up at Fifth Third Bank under the name 'Brandon Anthony Draper.'
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Brandon Draper. Source: Facebook
Brandon Draper. Source: Family of Brandon Draper
