Body found in Youngstown fruit cellar after daughter reports no contact from dad

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

A 53-year-old Palmer Avenue man whose decomposing body was found by police in a fruit cellar of his basement shortly after 11 p.m. Friday was killed with a knife or cutting instrument.

The victim is the city’s 12th homicide of the year. This compares to 13 homicides by this time in 2016.

Police went to the home in the 700 block of Palmer, just off South Avenue, after the victim’s daughter reported that she had not seen or heard from her father since Tuesday, which she said was unusual.

Officers noticed the grass in the yard was high. The victim’s daughter said her father mowed his grass almost every other day.

Police had her wait outside while they entered the home.

Read more about what they found in Saturday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.