Man found dead in woods had been missing for days. Now his death has been ruled a homicide

Investigators have confirmed that the death of a man found in a wooded area in Myakka City on Monday afternoon is a homicide, and the victim was the same man deputies had been searching for since he was reported missing six days earlier.

The death of Jose Barajas-Santibanez, 42, has now been ruled a homicide by the Medical Examiner’s Office after an autopsy was performed Tuesday.

At 4:36 p.m. Monday, deputies with the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office were called to a wooded area not far from the roadway in the 5600 block of Verna Bethany Road in Myakka City after receiving a report that a body was found. Deputies said the death appeared to be suspicious, so the Manatee County Homicide Investigative Unit was called to the wooded area to take over the investigation.

Barajas-Santibanez was reported missing by his daughter on Nov. 15 after not having been heard from since the morning of the previous day. She grew concerned when he never came home on Nov. 14.

On Nov. 15, deputies found Barajas-Santibanez’s vehicle abandoned on 21st Street East in Palmetto.

But even before being reported missing, Barajas-Santibanez had been no stranger to law enforcement. In 2005, he was arrested and charged with conspiring to traffic cocaine. Detectives with the sheriff’s office had been told by a confidential informant that Barajas-Santibanez had organized a delivery of three kilos of cocaine.

Undercover detectives set of surveillance of the intersection of 15 Street East and 57th Avenue East where Barajas-Santibanez was alleged to have set up the delivery, according to court records. Detectives watched as Barajas-Santibanez arrived first, and then a second vehicle, which was registered to someone with the same last name.

Both men were allegedly seen inspecting the cocaine in the trunk of the second vehicle. The driver was subsequently pulled over after leaving the meeting, and detectives seized the three kilos of cocaine. Detectives said, however, that in a later recorded conversation between Barajas-Santibanez and the other driver, Barajas-Santibanez apologized and admitted he should have been the one arrested.

Despite the State Attorney’s Office formally filing the trafficking charge against Barajas-Santibanez, the case was dropped several months later.

Anyone with information about the homicide case is asked to call the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office at 941-747-3011 ext. 2519, or Crime Stoppers at 866-634-8477 (TIPS).

This story was originally published November 21, 2017 at 3:50 PM with the headline "Man found dead in woods had been missing for days. Now his death has been ruled a homicide."