Missing man found dead in city swamp

Every day, missing persons reports are filed with the Police Department. But tonight one such case has become a murder investigation. News Five’s Alyssa Noble reports.

Alyssa Noble, Reporting
Just after dawn today, the lifeless body of twenty year old David Pook was discovered lying in the bushes near the Bingo King Apartments on Faber?s Road.

Regino Pook Sr., Father of Deceased
?From what I have seen on the spot, he was murdered on the spot. Not where the post mortem had happened. He had been murdered in the bush. There?s a big pool of blood that remains there. I had identified my son by the tennis he was wearing which was a black and blue Michael Jordan tennis. From my inspection of the body he was sliced here. He was stabbed here, and he was stabbed also in his chest. From the state of decomposition I was unable to see further, but those were the obvious injuries on the outer part.?

According to Regino Pook, prior to his death his son had received several threats.

Regino Pook
?He had gotten a text message on Friday before he leave and he showed it to his mom on his telephone, on his cellular phone. ?The first time the gun snapped the second time it will not.? He got a second death threat the same day that the Friday would have been his last day to live.?

The Pook family believes the last person to see Pook alive was his friend, Derrol Vernon.

Regino Pook
?He came back into the St. Martin?s Deporres Area and made contact with one Derrol Vernon who is his friend. He told Derrol that he have a date for one a.m. with a female. That he is leaving but he will go home first, which he never did. He never did come. Never. That was the last we heard of him. It?s very hard on me right now.?

Due to an advanced state of decomposition, police pathologist Mario Estradabran conducted a post mortem at the scene. Cause of death has been determined as asphyxiation due to a stab wound to the neck. Police have not labelled the case as a murder but they say are looking for persons they believe hold more information about Pook?s death.

Reporting for News Five, I am Alyssa Noble.

If you have any information, please contact the nearest police station or call Crime Stoppers at 0-800-922-8477.