A MAN was found dead yesterday in a wooded area that extends beyond Sunset Drive. Access is by a dirt road located in front of the white satellite truck. (Gail Lowe Photo)

A MAN was found dead yesterday in a wooded area that extends beyond Sunset Drive. Access is by a dirt road located in front of the white satellite truck. (Gail Lowe Photo)

By GAIL LOWE

WAKEFIELD — The area surrounding Sunset Drive in Montrose is usually quiet with nothing more than the occasional barking of a dog to disturb the peace but last night that peace came to an end when the body of a man was found inside a sports utility vehicle in a wooded area that extends beyond the end of Sunset Drive near Renee Drive.
The death appeared to be a homicide by gunshot, said Middlesex District Attorney Marian T. Ryan and Wakefield Police Chief Rick Smith today.
The crime scene is apparently more than a half mile into the woods at the end of Sunset Drive. The vehicle reportedly was a black Volvo SUV.
At approximately 5:45 p.m. yesterday, Wakefield Police received a call from a passerby reporting the incident. Police did not say who called or where the call originated.
Officers who responded found a man deceased inside a vehicle and indications were that the victim suffered fatal gunshot wounds. The identity of the victim is being withheld pending notification of next of kin.
A Jessica Lane resident who requested anonymity told the Daily Item that she takes an early morning walk every day through her neighborhood, including Sunset Drive and said that it was a “scary thought” to think that a man had been murdered and left in the woods not far from where she lived.

A DIRT road leading into a wooded area that extends beyond Sunset Drive has deep ruts that could possibly hold clues to the murder of a man found yesterday. (Gail Lowe Photo)

A DIRT road leading into a wooded area that extends beyond Sunset Drive has deep ruts that could possibly hold clues to the murder of a man found yesterday. (Gail Lowe Photo)

Ryan said: “The Wakefield Police Department received a 911 call Thursday evening, which led them to the crime scene. While this is an active investigation, we would like members of the public to know that this does not appear to be a random act of violence.”
Chief Smith added: “The Wakefield Police Department is working closely with the District Attorney’s office and we will continue to work with our partners during this investigation. We will pursue all investigative leads.”
The case is being investigated and handled by Wakefield police and Ryan’s office.