RICHMOND, Va. — The body of a missing Richmond father was discovered behind a recycling plant a week after he went missing.
Quamel Washington, 30, a father of two young boys who also played a pivotal role in raising two stepdaughters, was found dead behind a recycling plant in the 700 block of Hull Street Road on Monday afternoon.
Washington had been missing since July 7.
“We smelled a real putrid smell, and we was trying to figure out whether it was a dead animal so we could call Animal Control to possibly pick up a deceased animal,” the man who discovered the remains told CBS 6 Crime Insider Jon Burkett. “It was a deceased person. Stomach turning.”
Both Richmond and Chesterfield police had been working on Washington’s missing person case. Now Richmond Police Department’s Major Crimes Unit is investigating Washington’s death.
“A homicide detective is assigned to that,” Richmond Police Missing Person’s Detective Clarence Key said. “I’m really waiting to hear what the update is from the ME’s office, and they’re running with and following up with any leads, any call ins that may come in.”
Key said there were possible signs of trauma to the body, but due to weather conditions over the past week, it’s currently classified as a death investigation.
“But speaking with our forensics technicians, it appeared that he had been there, you know, for a week or so, and with the heat and the rain, you would know is some decomp,” Key said.
Crime analysts believe they’ve established an accurate timeline. Now, detectives are working to fill in the other blanks in the investigation.
In a previous interview, Washington’s wife Alexis Gregory called Washington’s disappearance completely out of character. She said Washington had been struggling emotionally around the anniversary of his mother’s death.
Police searching for missing Richmond father Quamel Washington
“He wasn’t really in a good head space. He was sad and a little agitated when he left, he was on edge,” Gregory said.
She said they weren’t arguing before his disappearance and said she paid for a Lyft driver to take Washington to his sister’s residence at the Southpoint Landing Apartments in Chesterfield County.
Detectives are still working to determine if Washington ever arrived at that location.
Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 804-780-1000 or text a tip using the P3 app.
This is a developing story. Email the CBS 6 Newsroom if you have additional information to share.
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