BEAUFORT, N.C. (WNCT) – An inmate work crew cleaning the roadside on the 600 block Merrimon Road outside of Beaufort discovered a body in a ditch Monday morning, the Carteret County Sheriff’s Office said.
Deputies identified the man as 66-year-old Sidney Tate Jr. of Marshall Lane, Beaufort.
Tate, who was known for walking up and down Merrimon Road, was found less than a quarter-mile from his home, deputies said.
He was discovered in a small ditch of water near Isaac Murray Drive, but deputies said there were no obvious signs of trauma to the body.
Tate’s next of kin have been notified, and deputies said the investigation is under further investigation pending an autopsy.
