Authorities are investigating after a man’s body was found early Monday afternoon in a drainage ditch.

“We’re working it as a suspicious death,” said St. Joseph Police Dept. Capt. Jeff Wilson, “but until they complete their investigation, we just won’t know.”

The body was found by a Buchanan County crew of prisoners working to clean up trash along I-229 near East Lake Boulevard.

Because of the location of the body, a confined space recovery was conducted to remove the remains.

“You’re talking about an area that’s between six and eight feet underneath the ground that was approximately two foot by four foot with unknown what’s in the air down there or anything else,” said St. Joseph Police Dept. Sgt. Steve Smith. “The Fire Department they had the equipment to measure any problems with the air.  When we put a police detective down there to process the scene we put him down there at their recommendation in a breathing apparatus to make sure he was safe.”

Crews from the St. Joseph Police Department, Fire Department, City Yards, the Buchanan County Sheriffs Dept., and the Missouri Department of Transportation worked together to remove the body from the confined space.

“We treated this as any other crime scene is treated,” said Smith. “Regardless of how this comes out this is still being treated as any other crime scene would be. We preserve evidence, we know everybody that is here, we make very good notes, and take care of everything just as any other investigation would be.”

Smith said the man’s body has been sent to Kansas City for an autopsy to be preformed before a cause of death or an identification can be made.

The body, according to a spokesman with the St. Joseph Fire Department appeared to be that of a white male in his mid-20s.

Wilson said the investigation is going to take a little bit of time, and they have not yet positively identified the body.

“I think they have maybe some possibilities, but they have not confirmed anything at this time,” Wilson said.