The death of a young man whose body was found early Friday in a Centennial front yard is being investigated as a homicide.
The Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office has identified the 23-year-old victim as Andrew Gleston Graham. Authorities said Graham lived about a mile away but did not release his address.
A man living in the 8700 block of East Phillips Place found the body in front of his home about 5:30 a.m. Friday and immediately called the Sheriff’s Office, Arapahoe County Sheriff Grayson Robinson said.
The homeowner told The Denver Post that an unusual commotion was the first indication something was wrong.
“I woke up to my dogs barking,” he said.
He said his daughter looked out and thought she saw someone prone in the front yard.
“I got my flashlight and I tried to wake him up,” the homeowner said.
He said the body was in an awkward position and had what appeared to be blood on its back.
Robinson said his office is in the early stages of what he expected will be a “lengthy and complex investigation.”
The cause of death has yet to be determined. What kind of weapon, if any, was used to cause the man’s death has not been ascertained, Robinson said.
KCNC-Channel 4 reported Friday night that Graham was a CU-Boulder graduate who was planning to attend graduate school there starting in January.
A “significant number” of Sheriff’s Office deputies and personnel are investigating Graham’s death, Robinson said.
Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the Sheriff’s Office at 303-795-4711. A cash reward may be made available, Robinson said.
Howard Pankratz: 303-954-1939 or hpankratz@denverpost.com
