The State Medical Examiner's Office in Dekalb County told local authorities they cannot determine the age of the man or the cause of death because the body was so badly decomposed.
Medical examiners did not see any signs of trauma to the body or any evidence of gunshot or stab wounds during the autopsy, but they could not give an exact cause of death for the man.
The body had been in the creek for three to five weeks, according to Hall County Sheriff's Col. Jeff Strickland. Now, Strickland said, authorities are trying to find out who the man is.
"They [investigators] will be looking into missing persons reports from both the Hall County Sheriff's Office and the Gainesville Police Department," said Strickland. "They will be conducting field interviews in areas frequented by the homeless near the railroad."
The body was found just after 2 p.m. Monday, April 4 in the creek behind New Holland Mill near the railroad tracks.
Strickland said the man did have distinguishing tattoos, including one on his torso that said "white trash" and another on his left calf of a woman. The body was clothed in tan pants, a hooded grey sweatshirt and white tennis shoes.
http://accesswdun.com/article/2011/4/237721