SALEM — Authorities are reporting the discovery of a body Sunday afternoon near the Industrial Park in Salem.

According to Salem Police Chief Sean Reynolds, people looking at property behind Howell Paving noticed an odor that they first believed was possibly a dead animal. As they continued walking, however, they discovered a human body in a creek that flows behind the Industrial Park and under U.S. Highway 50.

Law enforcement was contacted just before 2 p.m. and confirmed there was a dead body in the creek before contacting the Marion County Coroner’s Office. Reynolds says the Illinois State Police and the Marion County Sheriff’s Department were also contacted due to the location possibly landing outside the city limits. The Salem Fire Protection District responded to the scene to help remove the body from the creek and to place it in the coroner’s possession pending investigation.

He says no identification has been made at this time but an autopsy is scheduled for Monday.