BLOOMINGTON – On Thursday, December 7th at approximately 5:40 p.m., Bloomington Police officers responded to Wheeler Mission in the 200 block of South Westplex Avenue about a possible death.
The caller reported that an unknown man had been found in a wooded area near Wheeler Mission and was believed to be deceased. Officers located a deceased man near a large homeless encampment in the nearby wooded area. The man had several visible injuries consistent with being cut and/or struck by a sharp object. At the time of this release, the victim’s identity has not been confirmed by the Monroe County Coroner’s Office.
Several individuals were interviewed and investigators searched the area for evidence related to the man’s death.
On Friday, December 8th, investigators returned to the crime scene to once again search the area in daylight for evidence. Several more individuals were interviewed and provided investigators with suspect information.
Witnesses identified the suspect as 42-year-old Craig Pearson, who is also a transient. Pearson was located and detained.
After an interview, Pearson was transported to the Monroe County Jail and remanded on a charge of murder.
The investigation remains ongoing and anyone with information about the murder is asked to call Detective Josh Burnworth at (812)339-4477.
