Man's decomposing body found in his van parked near Lafayette's Tractor Supply Co.

LAFAYETTE, Ind. — No one apparently thought much about the man living in his white, windowless van with a flatbed trailer hitched to it that was parked near Tractor Supply Co. off of Indiana 38.

The store's employees told investigators that he didn't bother anyone, wasn't untidy, so they let him be. No harm, no foul, Tippecanoe County Coroner Carrie Costello said. The van technically was parked on Arletta Court, an unassuming road that runs beside Tractor Supply Co. and winds around to the back of the building.

For whatever reason, someone looked into the van's windshield or front windows Tuesday afternoon. That's when they saw a badly decomposed — almost skeletal — body of a 40-year-old man in the back of the van, Costello said.

All signs indicate he was homeless and living in the van, including the blankets and dresser drawers in the back, according to Costello.

A paycheck found inside the van indicated he last worked in December at a local manufacturer. He might have ties to the Columbus, Indiana, area, based on items found in the van, Costello said.

There are no overt signs of foul play, but every death is treated as suspicious until the investigation rules out a crime, Costello said, who is trying to track down the man's next of kin.

Meanwhile, a forensic pathologist will perform an autopsy Wednesday in an attempt to determine what caused the man's death.

Reach Ron Wilkins at rwilkins@jconline.com. Follow on Twitter: @RonWilkins2.

This article originally appeared on Lafayette Journal & Courier: Coroner investigating decomposed body found Tuesday in back of van