Investigators Trying To Identify Body

Investigators are trying to confirm the identity of a man found dead Sunday near the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe railroad tracks near Naples.

Sheriff Greg Sprungl attended an autopsy in Spokane on the man, who appears to be in his mid-30s. The autopsy was inconclusive, he said.

The body has been lying between the railroad tracks and a county road for a few weeks, Sprungl said.

“We believe he was a passenger on an Amtrak train,” Sprungl said. “At the moment, we don’t have any idea how he got off.”

The man suffered head injuries, but that’s not necessarily the cause of his death, Sprungl said. Toxicology studies are pending.

“He could have died of hypothermia,” said Sprungl, who speculated that snow may have kept the body concealed for some time.

The man had identification on him, but investigators are checking his fingerprints to confirm his identity, Sprungl said. That could take a few days, he said. The Criminal Investigation Bureau of the Idaho State Police is assisting in the case.

The body was discovered by a BNSF employee on a passing train at 9 a.m. Sunday about two miles north of Naples.