While residents of the city await word on details of the death of 28-year-old Cornelius D. Porter of McComb, law enforcement and the coroner remain tight-lipped as they pursue their investigation.

On Tuesday morning, Brookhaven Chief of Police Bobby Bell announced the identification of the body that police had found off South Washington Street last week. At the same time, Bell said police are investigating the matter as a homicide.

Porter’s body was found on an extended stretch of road on South Washington Street last Wednesday sometime between 4:30-5 p.m.

Since then, Chief Bell has advocated for the closure of this stretch of road, citing a high criminal history.

At Tuesday night’s board of aldermen meeting, Bell said, “We need to shut this road down. There’s nothing good going on there. It’s under-lighted and unnecessary.” City aldermen are taking Bell’s suggestion under advisement until the next aldermen’s meeting, Tuesday. Nov. 19.

While Washington Street stretches close to 10 blocks, starting at Cherokee Street on the north and extending past Chickasaw, Minnesota and St. George streets heading south, Bell is most concerned with the area where Porter’s body was found, a gravel trail of a road in a desolate area with little traffic.

Bell could not be reached for comment Friday morning on the case.