CHINA GROVE, NC – A shocking incident in China Grove, North Carolina has left authorities investigating a grim discovery. A man’s body, later identified as 34-year-old Robert Owens, was mistaken for a training dummy and left unattended in the front yard of an abandoned house for several days, even undergoing a close encounter with a landscaping crew.
Initial reports suggested that the landscapers mistook the body for a Halloween prop, but the China Grove Police Department has since clarified the situation. On October 10, the police received a report about a deceased individual at an abandoned log cabin in China Grove. Upon arrival, they found Owens’ lifeless body.
During their investigation, the police learned that a groundskeeper had come across the body a day before while mowing the grass. Astonishingly, he believed it to be a fake dummy used for training purposes by various law enforcement agencies over the past few years and did not report it. Another worker at the property eventually alerted the authorities to the grim discovery.
Owens’ sister, Haley Shue, expressed her disbelief at the situation, saying, “Don’t know how you can do that. Mow right beside someone and assume that they’re a Halloween decoration at a house no one lives at.” She also mentioned that her brother had no connection to the property and had never visited it.
Authorities have confirmed that Owens had not been shot. However, they are still awaiting the results of a toxicology report to determine the cause of death. An autopsy conducted in Raleigh on October 13 yielded preliminary findings ruling out any signs of assault or trauma to the body.
The tragic incident has left Owens’ family seeking answers, with Shue highlighting the impact on her brother’s nieces and nephews, who cherished him.