Taunton Man Found Floating in River Now Identified

TAUNTON (WBSM) — The district attorney’s office has identified the man whose body was discovered last week in Taunton and deemed his death not suspicious.

According to Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III, the body was that of Samuel Stovall, 51, of Taunton. Quinn said Stovall was known to Taunton Police as someone who was homeless.

Police received a 911 call at about 3:40 p.m. on April 25 reporting a body had been located by walkers in the Mill River behind 43 Chandler Avenue. Taunton Police detectives and Massachusetts State Police assigned to the D.A.’s Office responded to the scene.

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Stovall’s body was located in the water with obvious signs of decomposition.

“This death is not deemed suspicious but remains open pending further investigation,” the D.A.’s Office said.

Recently, a rash of bodies discovered in the region have led to online speculation that a serial killer is operating in New England. Law enforcement has repeatedly denied any evidence that the deaths of these individuals are connected.

The Victims in the New Bedford Highway Murders

The New Bedford highway murders took place in 1988, with the bodies discovered into 1989. The killer is confirmed to have killed nine women and suspected of murdering at least two more. Although there were at least three different men considered as suspects by the Bristol County District Attorney’s Office, the murders remain unsolved and the families of the victims are still searching for closure. The cases are all featured on the unsolved cases page of the Bristol County District Attorney's Office website.

Gallery Credit: Tim Weisberg