Lancaster police Chief Keith Sadler asked for citizen help at a press conference Tuesday as detectives investigate the slaying of a middle-aged man inside a West Walnut Street apartment house.

Sadler at the noon press conference said police have yet to positively identify the victim, a white male who was found facedown in a pool of blood around 11 a.m. Monday.

Lancaster County Coroner Dr. Stephen Diamantoni said an autopsy was completed Tuesday and ruled the death a homicide.

He said the cause of death was sharp force trauma but declined to elaborate because of the ongoing investigation.

City police Detective Capt. Kent Switzer declined Tuesday to provide details of the victim's injuries or to say if a weapon had been recovered.

Diamantoni said he has a "likely ID" of the victim but is using dental records to confirm identification. That process had not been completed late Tuesday.

Sadler said there was no forced entry into the apartment at 248 W. Walnut St., and it was not known if anything was taken.

Lancaster County District Attorney Craig Stedman in a separate interview said the victim was not a tenant of the apartment.

Switzer, in an email, declined to say if investigators have located the tenant of the unit or if that individual is a person of interest in the crime. He said police were not releasing any additional information Tuesday night.

The time of the slaying was not known. Sadler said the body could have been undiscovered for as long as a week to 10 days.

Sadler said the landlord asked police Monday to check on a tenant who had not been seen for a while.

He said investigators have combed the neighborhood for evidence and asked anyone with information to contact police at 735-3330. Tipsters also may call Lancaster City/County Crime Stoppers at 1-800-322-1913 or anonymously text LANCS plus your message to 847411 (TIP411).
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