Did you see something suspicious near where man’s body was found? Detectives need your help

Detectives are asking for the public’s help as they investigate the death of a man found near a wooded area in East Bradenton on Monday.

Michael Angelo Jacoby Grantley, 41, was found dead at about 8:35 a.m. Monday by a landscape worker in the 3500 block of 26th Avenue East. His body was alongside an access road near a wooded area about 50 yards from the main road.

Detectives say his death appears to be a homicide, but an autopsy was underway Tuesday to determine the official cause and manner of death. The sheriff’s office, however, does not intend to release those results currently, according to sheriff’s office spokesman Dave Bristow.

Meanwhile, the sheriff’s office is asking anyone who may have seen something suspicious in that area Monday morning to come forward.

While Grantley’s criminal history includes drug charges and convictions, detectives cannot yet say whether his death was drug-related. The sheriff’s office could also not yet say whether the victim may have been killed somewhere other than where his body was found.

At the time of his death, Grantley was out on bond in two separate cases.

On Oct. 8, Grantley was arrested after a Sarasota sheriff’s sergeant reported finding him drinking alcohol in public near the entrance to the Rosemary Cemetery in Sarasota, and subsequently found a plastic bag of marijuana and a small flashlight containing two pieces of rock cocaine in his front pocket. He was charged with possession of crack cocaine, possession of drug paraphernalia and open container.

Eleven days later he was arrested again after undercover detectives say he had sold them two pieces of rock cocaine on April 14 during an ongoing operation near Fredd Adkins Park in Newtown. He was charged with selling cocaine within a 1,000 feet of a park.

Both cases had been set to go to trial during the two-week trial period that begins July 30.

Grantley served several stints in prison and was most recently released in May 2014 after serving 11 months of a two-year sentence for possession of marijuana with intent to sell within 1,000 feet of a school, attempted sale of cocaine and attempted sale of cocaine within 1,000 feet of a school convictions. His two prior prison terms were for armed home invasion, battery on a person 65 years or older and fleeing law enforcement at a high speed convictions.

Anyone with information can call the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office at 941-747-3011 or Crime Stoppers at 866-634-8477 (TIPS).

This story was originally published January 16, 2018 at 12:06 PM with the headline "Did you see something suspicious near where man’s body was found? Detectives need your help."