Foul smell leads to discovery of a body in a grocery store air duct, Ohio police say

A foul smell led to a disturbing discovery at an Ohio grocery store Wednesday, police say.

A manager at a Save-A-Lot in Cleveland smelled a bad odor in the store and called an exterminator to investigate, WEWS reported. A body was ultimately discovered in the air ducts.

Employees told the outlet they had noticed the smell several days before.

While the cause of death has not been determined, police say there were no signs of violence and the case is not being investigated as a homicide, according to WOIO.

Officials say it’s possible the man climbed into the air ducts on his own, the outlet reported.

Firefighters cut a hole in the roof with a large saw to help remove the man’s body, Cleveland.com reported. Investigators also used a hatch on the roof to better access the duct work.

“We are deeply saddened by this incident and our thoughts are with the family of the deceased,” Save-A-Lot CEO Kenneth McGrath said in a statement obtained by the outlet. The store is temporarily closed.