Dec. 27 – Allegheny County detectives are treating the body found Thursday in Shaler as a homicide because the victim had an apparent gunshot wound to the head.
Few other details have emerged since the body was discovered Thursday afternoon by a passerby in a wooded area of Shaler.
Jim Madalinsky, public information officer for the Allegheny County Police Department, confirmed Friday that the body was a man, but no identification has been made.
County police released a statement Friday saying the victim, an adult male, was wearing multiple layers of clothing and a mask.
The body was reported in the woods along the 200 block of Hahn Road around 2:30 p.m. and transported to the Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s Office, according to police.
Shaler and Allegheny County police initially investigated Thursday, but the investigation has since been turned over to Allegheny County homicide detectives.
Hahn Road is flanked on both sides by woods with only a few houses. The nearest company is bus company ABC Transit.
Shaler Police Chief Sean Frank could not be reached for comment Friday.
Joyce Hanz is from Charleston, SC and is a reporter for the Pittsburgh region. She studied media arts and graduated from the University of South Carolina. She can be reached at jhanz@triblive.com
