A missing 20-year-old man from Gilchrist County turned up dead in Micanopy on Monday. Deputies say he was killed.
The man, who has been identified as Daniel Schweitzer, had been reported missing since Feb. 3 and was thought to be headed toward Alachua County or Tampa.
An award of up to $8,000 is available to anyone with information that will lead to an arrest for the murder, according to the Alachua County Sheriff's Office. Tips can be made anonymously through the 93Tips app or by calling (352) 372-STOP.
Deputies discovered his body when deputies received a call at 3:29 p.m. from a driver who was flagged down by a person who spotted the decomposed body while walking down Country Road 234, said Lt. Brett Rhodenizer, an Alachua County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson. Deputies found the body underneath palm fronds in the area.
Gilchrist County is about an hour away from Micanopy.
The medical examiner’s office and sheriff’s office detectives confirmed Tuesday that he was killed, according to the sheriff’s office. It is unclear how or when he was killed.
The body had been under palm fronds on the side of the road for days or weeks, Rhodenizer said. The witness told detectives a blanket and bags were nearby.
“Whatever happened didn’t happen recently,” he said. “There’s nothing on scene or that we’ve been made aware of that causes us any concern for the sake of the community.”
Anyone with information is asked to call the Criminal Investigations Division at 352-367-4170.
This article will be continuously updated as new information becomes available.
Deputies identified the dead body found in Micanopy as Daniel Schweitzer, 20, of Gilchrist County, on Tuesday.
Deputies found a dead man under palm fronds by the side of Country Road 234 in Micanopy Monday.
