Man found dead in his home
By Laura Collins
Published in News on October 13, 2010 1:46 PM
The Wayne County Sheriff's Office and the State Bureau of Investigation are looking into the death of a Goldsboro man whose body was found Tuesday.
Shortly before 9 a.m., James Clifton Best, 62, N.C. 111 South, was found dead sitting in a chair in his home by a friend who had come by to take him to breakfast.
Initially emergency medical personnel and sheriff's deputies were called to the scene where EMS pronounced him dead of natural causes.
"We didn't see anything unusual, no foul play, nothing ransacked or missing," Capt. Tom Effler said. "Family was at the scene, too. No one saw anything that looked out of the way. And he did have a history of health problems."
However, the sheriff's office was contacted later by the funeral home, which had discovered a bullet hole under Best's chin, which was initially covered by facial hair.
Effler said since there was no exit wound and "no obvious blood."
He said the death has been declared suspicious, but has not yet officially been ruled a homicide although it is being investigated as a homicide.
An autopsy is expected to be completed this morning and investigators are meeting with the SBI, which will be assisting with the case.