REHOBOTH BEACH, Del. — Delaware State Police have confirmed that the man found dead inside a parked SUV on Olive Avenue last month died of natural causes, and no criminal charges are expected in the case.
The man has been identified as 85-year-old Lewis Johnson of Reston, Virginia. His body was discovered around 6:30 p.m. on June 24 inside a legally parked grey Mazda CX-5 with Virginia plates in the 40 block of Olive Avenue, after someone reported a foul odor coming from the vehicle.
Police said Johnson’s body was partially covered, which made it difficult to see him from outside the SUV.Â
According to troopers, detectives later learned that a family member, identified earlier as 53-year-old Venessa Johnson, drove Lewis Johnson to Rehoboth Beach after he had died. According to police, concern for her mental and physical well-being led to a Gold Alert being issued on June 28. She was safely located the next day and taken to a medical facility for evaluation.
Through forensic testing conducted by the Division of Forensic Science, Johnson was positively identified and his death was determined to be from natural causes.
Police emphasized that no charges are pending in the case.