Police say the decomposed body found in woodland east of Birmingham was the victim of a murder

A man found dead and decomposing in east Birmingham was the victim of a murder, authorities said Saturday.

The discovery was made around 8:15 a.m. Thursday by a person walking in the 3000 block of Jefferson State Parkway.

The body was found in a wooded area. The passerby flagged down a Jefferson County deputy, who notified Birmingham police.

The man’s death was not immediately determined, but an autopsy conducted by the Jefferson County coroner determined he was the victim of a crime, Officer Truman Fitzgerald said.

Authorities have not yet identified the man or said how he was killed.

The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office and Jefferson State Community College Campus Police also responded to the scene.

The victim is the 126th murder in Birmingham this year. Eight of these were found justified and two others occurred in earlier years, but the victims died in 2024.

There were 160 murders across Jefferson County, including 126 in Birmingham.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers of Metro Alabama at (205) 254-7777.