A man whose body was found on the outskirts of downtown Davis in June has been identified as John Henry Chester Jr., a local transient, according to the Yolo County coroner’s office.
Chester, 48, died June 18 after a witness found him on the ground and barely breathing near the railroad tracks that run behind the Davis Commons shopping center. Police said he had suffered blunt-force trauma to his body, but the source of it was uncertain.
Chester’s cause and manner of death remain under investigation, Chief Deputy Coroner Gina Moya said Monday. His identity was not released for weeks after his death because authorities had difficulty tracking down his next of kin.