A local pedestrian discovered the dead body of a Manhattan man during a walk on Linear Trail early Tuesday morning on Nov. 25. Riley County Police Department public information officer Joshua Kinder said the body was discovered a few feet off the trail, between Manhattan Avenue and Pottawatomie Avenue. 

“It [the body] was reported by a pedestrian at about 7:28 a.m. that morning,” Kinder says. 

After the initial investigation, it was determined that the man was a 38-year-old Manhattan resident, though no other details of the case are available at this time. No information about the cause, manner or time of death has been released to the public, as the investigation is still ongoing. 

The discovery has put some on high alert, including Alexa Rios, graduate student in nutrition, dietetics and sensory sciences and a member of the K-State cross country and track & field teams.

“I feel uneasy running in that vicinity,” Rios said. “It is unfortunate since the distance team and I utilize that trail often. It makes us feel more endangered as runners.”

 RCPD has assured the public that there is nothing to fear. 

“This is an isolated incident, and there is no threat to the public,” Kinder said.