The Oyler Griffin

HOUSTON, TX — Houston police are investigating a homicide after officers found a body inside an overturned trash can early Sunday at a Third Ward apartment complex. Detectives said the discovery came after a 911 call reported gunshots and a person trying to force a body into a trash can.

Officers were sent to the 3100 block of Anita Street at 12:13 a.m. and found no witnesses waiting when they arrived. Police said the caller had blocked the phone number, which prevented a callback for more details. Investigators have not publicly identified the victim or said exactly how the person died.

911 call led officers to Anita Street apartment complex

According to the Houston Police Department, the initial call pointed officers toward a small apartment complex in the Third Ward. The caller reported hearing gunshots and seeing someone trying to stuff a body into a trash can. That prompted a rapid response to the property just after midnight.

When officers searched the parking lot, they found an overturned trash can containing a body. Police said it was not immediately possible to determine whether the victim died from gunfire, blunt-force trauma, or another type of injury. Investigators have continued working to identify what happened before officers arrived.

Police found blood trails leading to a nearby apartment

During their sweep of the property, officers said they found blood trails leading directly to a nearby unit. That discovery shifted the focus of the investigation from the parking lot to the apartment itself and the people inside it.

Police said a man inside the residence refused commands to come out. Officers with the department’s Patrol Support Team then used breaching equipment to force entry and take him into custody. Authorities have not said what relationship, if any, the man had to the victim.

Two people are being questioned as persons of interest

Houston police said the man taken from the apartment and a second individual are being questioned as persons of interest. No formal suspect has been announced, and no charges had been reported as of Sunday morning.

Investigators were still on scene processing evidence and examining the body. Police said the case remains active as homicide detectives work to piece together the sequence of events, determine the cause of death, and establish who was involved before officers arrived.

Third Ward scene remains under homicide investigation

The apartment complex is in Houston’s Third Ward, a densely populated part of the city where detectives often have to work through limited eyewitness information and complex crime scenes. In this case, police said the blocked phone number on the 911 call and the lack of witnesses at the scene made the first stage of the response more difficult.

For now, investigators are relying on physical evidence, including the blood trail and the scene inside the apartment, to move the case forward. Police have not released the victim’s identity or any timeline for when additional information might be made public.

What investigators have not yet said

Several key details remain unknown. Police have not said how the victim was injured, when the death occurred, or whether the body was moved before officers arrived. They also have not named any suspects or explained whether the two people being questioned are believed to have been present during the killing.

The Houston Police Department said homicide investigators remain at the scene examining the body and collecting evidence. Until investigators complete that work, the case appears to hinge on confirming the cause of death and linking the apartment, the trash can, and the people questioned by police.