Death of man found in Jeep 'suspicious'

CEDAR CITY (AP) — A man whose body was found Tuesday in the back of a burning Jeep had inhaled smoke, indicating he was alive after the fire began, according to preliminary autopsy results.

The Iron County Sheriff's Office said a passing motorist reported the fire about 2 a.m. Emergency responders found the body in the vehicle, which was at the Middleton Timber Co., just off the Interstate 15 frontage road.

The sheriff's office is investigating the case as a suspicious death.

The cause of death has not been reported.

Sheriff Mark Gower said that as authorities arrived, a white compact truck at the scene drove away.

Investigators said the victim, a man in his mid-20s not from Iron County, was the registered owner of the Jeep.