Officials ID man found dead near I-35 as Bloomington man
Authorities have identified a man who was found dead near Interstate 35 in New Market Township last week.
Wednesday, the Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the man as 34-year-old Alexander Stenberg, from Bloomington. He’s believed to have died from cold weather exposure, although the official cause and manner of death are still pending.
RELATED: Body found near I-35 ramp in New Market Township, investigation underway
The Scott County Sheriff’s Office says Stenberg’s body was found near the northbound ramp from County Road 2 onto I-35 at around 8:47 a.m. on Dec. 23.
In Wednesday’s update, the sheriff’s office said deputies found a vehicle in the ditch near where Stenberg was found at around 3:16 a.m. However, nobody was in the vehicle and deputies didn’t find anyone near it so they had it towed.
Now, investigators believe Stenberg may have stolen the vehicle out of Burnsville earlier that morning, the sheriff’s office says.
While it’s not clear how the vehicle ended up in the ditch or what ultimately happened to Stenberg, the sheriff’s office reported that a witness came forward and said they tried to help someone matching Stenberg’s description at around 3 a.m. that morning but the man declined the witness’ help.
The case remains under investigation.