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Body in woods prompts investigation
Donna Swicegood photo
Detectives and deputies from the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office finish their crime scene investigation at a possible homicide Monday morning at the end of Absher Road.
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Published: January 13, 2009
The Iredell County Sheriff's Office is investigating a possible homicide off Absher Road.
Around 9:10 a.m. Monday, the body of Mark Bennett Ferguson, 21, of Statesville, was found by a neighbor in the wooded area near the end of Absher Road, which is located off Greenbriar Road.
The man was checking the wooded area near the end of the road because of suspicious activity Sunday night, Sheriff's Capt. Darren Campbell said.
The sheriff's office received a call around 11 p.m. Sunday about a suspicious vehicle near the end of Absher Road. A deputy checked the area and found a red Ford Explorer parked there, Campbell said.
The deputy recorded the tag number and checked the immediate area but didn't find anyone, Campbell said.
The man living in the area heard possible gunshots during the night, which prompted him to check this morning, Campbell said.
Ferguson's body was found about 100 yards in a wooded area beside a house near the end of the road.
A man living in the area, who didn't want to be identified, said four men went into the woods late Sunday night and three came out later, but left the Explorer.
Campbell said authorities are still attempting to determine an exact cause of death.
Ferguson's body was taken to Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center, where an autopsy will be performed.
The sheriff's office towed the Explorer to the county garage to be processed for evidence.
Authorities are trying to determine who was with Ferguson Sunday night, but no arrests have been made.
This was the first homicide of the year in Iredell County.
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