Tattoos, social media help identify dismembered body found in Pearl River County

PEARL RIVER COUNTY, Miss. (WLOX) - Tattoos and social media helped investigators identify the dismembered body found inside a toolbox in Pearl River County.

Coroner Derek Turnage said the victim was Seth Colter Odom, 24, from Poplarville. Turnage also said Odom died of a gunshot wound, but did not clarify if there was more than one gunshot.

Odom’s body was discovered Saturday morning around 10am inside a large plastic toolbox on Burge and Reyer Road in rural Pearl River County.

“We made the determination it was best to extricate the body in a controlled environment, so we made arrangements to bring the toolbox to the State Medical Examiner’s Office in Biloxi,” Turnage said.

Investigators worked with the Pearl River County Sheriff’s Department and the State Medical Examiner’s Office to research and identify Odom’s numerous tattoos. Using social media and other sources, Turnage said they were able to find matching photos to help identify Odom.

Investigators are still working to determine when Odom died, but Turnage said it’s likely he was dead about a week, perhaps a few days longer, when he was found.

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