A case was opened after a badly burnt body was discovered in a park on Kingsway Avenue early on 22 May.
Brixton police spokesperson Jeanette Backhoff said a member of the community alerted them to the body, which they could not initially confidently identify as being human as it was badly burnt.
“We received a call at 7am from the community and a van was sent,” she said.
Backhoff said police believe it could be one of the displaced people who frequent the park and made a fire to keep warm next to.
“We think he fainted and landed on the fire where he burned to death,” she said.
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Pathologists declared him dead at the scene as authorities waited for the mortuary van. Because the body had been burned so badly, firefighters had to wet it so that it could be transported.
“A docket was opened and we will see as soon as we get the report from the pathologist if there are any reasons for further investgations, but we do not suspect foul play,” she said.
Backhoff added that members of the community who live nearby said in their interview with police that elderly displaced people often live and sleep in the park, making fires.
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