Violet man identified as person found dead Tuesday night in burning Ford Mustang on side of Louisiana 46 Ext. in eastern St. Bernard; Death being investigated as a homicide; Call 271-2501 with information

Posted: October 31st, 2012 | Filed under: Announcements, News Releases

The burned-out Ford Mustang in which the body of Christopher Campbell, 28, of St. Bernard Parish was found late Tuesday, Oct. 30.
A 28-year0old Violet man has been identified as the person found dead at 11 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 30, in a burning Ford Mustang on the shoulder of Louisiana 46 Ext. in eastern St. Bernard Parish, Sheriff James Pohlmann said.

“We’re absolutely investigating this as a homicide,’’ Sheriff Pohlmann said, but a cause of death wasn’t disclosed.

“This homicide is odd, very odd,’’ Sheriff Pohlmann said.

The deceased was identified as Christopher Campbell, who worked as at a car body shop and was known for his passion for working on cars and racing them, often with groups of fellow car enthusiasts, Pohlmann said.

He said Campbell had no criminal record and didn’t seem to run with a bad group.

But the area in eastern St. Bernard where Campbell’s 2004 special edition Ford Mustang was found on fire about 11 p.m. Tuesday night, Oct. 30, with him dead in the driver’s seat, “is known for street racing’’ by groups, Sheriff Pohlmann said.

“We are wondering if (car racing) had anything to do with this homicide,’’ the sheriff said.

There are no known motives at this time, he said.

Anyone with information about what may have happened or knows if anyone else was involved should call Crimestoppers at (504) 822-1111 or the St. Bernard Parish Sheriff’s Office at (504) 271-2501 and they may be eligible for a reward up to $2,500.

A passerby called authorities to report a vehicle on fire on the shoulder road of Louisiana 46 Extension, nearly at the junction of the Florissant/Delacroix highways in easternmost St. Bernard.

A sheriff’s deputy in the area went to the site and the parish Fire Department arrived ad extinguished the blaze, which heavily burned the car from the rear forward, officials said.

The man found in the drivers; seat wasn’t determined to Campbell until Wednesday, Sheriff Pohlmann said.

An autopsy was performed by the Orleans Parish Coroner’s Office, which St. Bernard Parish contracts with.

It was the second homicide of the year I St. Bernard Parish.