Bend police ID body found near Division Street

A man whose body was found off North Division Street in Bend on Tuesday has been identified as a 47-year-old who “was intermittently homeless,” police said Wednesday.

A person walking in the area called Deschutes County 911 around 12:20 p.m. Tuesday to report finding a deceased man off the road near a tree in the area of Division Street near Highway 97, police Lt. Jason Maniscalco said.

Bend police and fire units went to the scene and confirmed the man had died. Maniscalco said investigators were able to identify the man as Joel Norriss, who had no known recent address. Family members have been notified, he said.

The lieutenant said Bend police investigators are working with the District Attorney’s Office and Medical Examiner’s Office to determine the cause of death. They are looking into whether he may have died from exposure to the recent cold weather.

Based on the evidence gathered at this time, “investigators have determined there is no threat to the community,” Maniscalco said.