The name of the man who died under suspicious circumstances -- a non-commissioned officer at Grand Forks Air Force Base -- won't be released until at least Thursday, according to U.S. Air Force officials.
The man served on the base's 319th Air Refueling Wing, the base revealed today.
"We are deeply saddened by this loss," Col. Diane Hull, the 319th Air Refueling Wing commander, said in a statement released today. "Any loss of an airman is tragic, and it is important to us to find the root cause."
Although it's been more than 24 hours since the 38-year-old man's body was discovered, his "kin is international," according to Tech. Sgt. Joseph Kapinos, public affairs officer, making notification a little more complicated.
Grand Forks Air Force officials took over the investigation into the death of a 38-year-old Grand Forks man Tuesday.
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Although no one was saying it, that move indicates the man was in the Air Force.
About 6:20 p.m. Monday, Grand Forks police responded to a report of an unattended death at an eight-plex apartment at 506 N. Fourth St. and found the body of a 38-year-old man.
Citing the Air Force's jurisdiction, Grand Forks police would not release the man's name or cause of death. Police said an autopsy was planned.
The man's death remains under investigation, Kapinos said. When asked if foul play was suspected or whether an autopsy had been completed, Kapinos said he couldn't "go into anymore details."
A man and a woman who walked out of the apartment building late Tuesday and identified themselves as property managers, said they had no comment. The owner of the building told the Herald he hired a management company to run his properties and that he had no idea who was living in the apartment.
