Police have identified the man found dead Sunday at an East Lampeter Township motel.

Jeffrey Michael Brent, 24, whose last-known address was in the 400 block of East Main Street, Mountville, was the victim of a homicide, township police Lt. James Ely said in a press release.

Brent died from injuries sustained in a rear parking lot of the Budget Host Inn, 2100 Lincoln Highway East, police said.

Brent is believed to have graduated earlier this year from Pennsylvania College of Art and Design in downtown Lancaster. Police and school officials on Monday could not confirm he was a student there.

According to Brent's Facebook page, his family lives in the Washington, D.C. area. Brent, however, had lived in the Lancaster area for "quite some time," according to Lt. Robin Weaver.

Emergency personnel were called to an undisclosed motel in the 2100 block of Lincoln Highway shortly after 3 a.m. for a report of a cardiac arrest.

They arrived and found Brent's body on the floor of the motel lobby, according to police.

The Budget Host Inn is at the corner of Lincoln Highway East and South Oakview Road. Police said he was not a guest at the motel.

Authorities declined to discuss how Brent was killed.

After completing an autopsy on Monday, Lancaster County Coroner Dr. Stephen Diamantoni said that Brent died of a traumatic injury and the manner of death was homicide.

He declined to comment on specifics of the death, citing the ongoing investigation.

Weaver declined Monday afternoon to say whether police had been able to develop a suspect but described the investigation as "extremely active."

A person who answered the phone Monday at the Budget Host Inn said management has no comment.

Police ask anyone with information to contact them at 291-4676. Tipsters also can call Lancaster City/County Crime Stoppers at 1-800-322-1913 or anonymously text LANCS plus a message to 847411 (TIP411).
rrobinson@lnpnews.com