Miami River: The River of Death?

Watch out for floating bodies. It wasn't all that long ago that we were slapping each other on the back and toasting an entire month without a murder in Miami. Well, it looks like its high time to welcome everyone back to the Magic City we all know and love,...

By Tim Elfrink

November 11, 2008

[
        {
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Inline Content - Mobile Display Size",
          "component": "19274298",
          "insertPoint": "2",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "2"
        },{
          "name": "Editor Picks",
          "component": "17482312",
          "insertPoint": "4",
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "1"
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18711090",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - MediumRectangle - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17482310",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 8,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "7",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Inline Links",
          "component": "18711090",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        },{
          "name": "Air - Leaderboard Tower - Combo - Inline Content",
          "component": "17482313",
          "insertPoint": "8th",
          "startingPoint": 12,
          "requiredCountToDisplay": "11",
          "maxInsertions": 25
        }
      ]

Watch out for floating bodies.

It wasn't all that long ago that we were slapping each other on the back and toasting an entire month without a murder in Miami.

Well, it looks like its high time to welcome everyone back to the Magic City we all know and love, a place where two bodies mysteriously wash up on the banks of the Miami River in two days.

The body of 16-year-old James Phillips Jr. was found floating in the river -- fully clothed, with no signs of trauma -- around 9:30 a.m. yesterday, police spokesman Kenia Alfonso said in a release to Riptide.

Around 8:45 a.m. this morning, police found the body of another unidentified man in his early 20s bobbing in the water -- also fully clothed, also showing no signs of a struggle. Both men had been in the water for two or three days, Alfonso said.

Police aren't sure what connection, if any, there is between the two corpses.

-- Tim Elfrink

KEEP NEW TIMES FREE... Since we started New Times, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of Miami, and we'd like to keep it that way. Your membership allows us to continue offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food, and culture with no paywalls. You can support us by joining as a member for as little as $1.

Tim Elfrink is a former investigative reporter and managing editor for Miami New Times. He has won the George Polk Award and was a finalist for the Goldsmith Prize for Investigative Reporting.

Contact: Tim Elfrink

Follow:

Twitter: @timelfrinkmia