Editor's note: The above video is KXAN coverage from Jan. 4 when the Austin Police Department was still investigating the body discovery as a suspicious death case. It has since been reclassified as a homicide investigation.
AUSTIN (KXAN) — The Austin Police Department is investigating a murder in a wooded area of southeast Austin after discovering a body over the weekend.
Police responded around 3:50 a.m. Saturday to the 1700 block of Nelms Drive, near Interstate 35 and William Cannon Drive. Police said the Austin Fire Department extinguished a fire at a homeless camp and found a man dead.
Originally, police said detectives were investigating the incident as a suspicious death and not a homicide. In an update Monday afternoon, police confirmed the case had become a murder investigation after the autopsy detailed "sharp force injuries" and trauma on the victim's body.
Police said they believe the fire was set in an attempt to cover up the murder. The victim hasn't yet been identified, but police said he was likely a white or Hispanic male who was experiencing homelessness and might've gone by the nickname "JT."
An APD spokesperson said over the weekend homeless campfires happen on a regular basis, especially during the winter time.
Homelessness in Travis County
Homeless outreach groups, like ECHO in Austin, regularly update what is being done to help those experiencing homelessness.
The most recent data from the group shows it estimates there are more than 5,000 people living on the streets in Travis County. Of those, 11 percent are veterans and another 11 percent are families with children. It is split nearly 50-50 between men and women.
Police ask if you have any information on Saturday's death to call CrimeStoppers at (512) 472-8477 or submit a tip online.
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