Cops: Sag Harbor man found dead from head injuries in abandoned vehicle

Suffolk homicide detectives have begun questioning friends, relatives and co-workers of a man found murdered in Riverhead Wednesday evening to begin to piece together a timeline of how he ended up in the vehicle abandoned on Roanoke Avenue.

Det. Lt. Kevin Beyrer, the head of Suffolk County police’s homicide squad, said it was apparent from the head injury sustained that Marco Grisales’s death was criminal.

Investigators remained at the scene on Roanoke Avenue until around 9:30 a.m. Thursday, nearly 14 hours after Riverhead police first discovered Mr. Grisales, 39, following a 911 call into the abandoned vehicle.

Det. Lt. Beyrer said it did not appear that Mr. Grisales had been in that location for very long, but they’re still working to establish a more concrete timeline. He had not been gone long enough to be reported missing, he added.

“We’re looking into all aspects of his life,” Det. Lt. Beyrer said. “We want to keep an open mind on things.”

No weapon was discovered at the crime scene, he added.

Police were seen investigating a white Ford pickup truck at the scene, which was located between Green Tree Drive and Joyce Drive.

Det. Lt. Beyrer said the vehicle was registered to someone else, but investigators believe it was Mr. Grisales’ vehicle to use. A steady rain was falling Wednesday evening into the next morning, so investigators moved the pickup on a flatbed to a secure location. Tarps were also used “in order to process the scene more efficiently and not lose any potential evidence that we might have lost in bad weather,” Det. Lt. Beyrer said.

He couldn’t say definitively whether drugs my have been a factor.

“We can’t rule that out, but we’re keeping our options open on everything,” he said.

Mr. Grisales and his brother worked together for a construction company.

According to Sag Harbor Village Police Chief Austin McGuire, Mr. Grisales was a former village resident, and it was unclear when or for how long he had lived in Sag Harbor.

“We got a call last night,” the chief said via text message Thursday afternoon. “His car or something must have been registered here.”

He noted that the house he had lived in on Hampton Street “has been in foreclosure for a number of years.”

“We have nothing in our database on him so [we’re] unsure how long he was actually a village resident,” the chief added.

Detectives are asking anyone with information to contact police at 631-852-6392 or call anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-220-TIPS.

This story was updated from its original version and includes reporting shared by The Express News Group.