LAKE WORTH, Fla. -- A 25-year-old New Jersey man was identified by Florida police Friday as the dead body found in a trash can in Lake Worth Wednesday, according to WPBF.com.
Tyler Etue, of Medford Lakes, had been missing since July 31 and was in Florida trying to get clean after struggling with drug addiction in New Jersey, according to reports.
An autopsy was conducted by the medical examiner's office Thursday and authorities have determined the cause of death to be homicide, reports said.
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Etue was last seen at the 500 block of Second Avenue near an alleyway where the remains of his body were later discovered in a trashcan.
The 25-year-old was dropped off at Lake Worth Square -- a normal hangout spot for Etue -- and then went missing, WPBF reports.
Posted by Tyler Etue on Thursday, April 23, 2015
Etue was attending a detox program in early July after a drug relapse, according to reports, and had reportedly planned on returning briefly to New Jersey before starting over in Florida.
The 25-year-old did an interview in Palm Beach County with WPTV this past May discussing the dangers of Flakka -- an drug similar to bath salts.
In May, Etue reported that he had been clean for 40 days and talked about how Flakka almost killed him, causing strokes and hallucinations, according to WPTV reports.
WPBF reports that Etue and his girlfriend, Anna Anderson, were expecting a baby girl, and had hopes of straightening out his life.
The homicide remains under investigation.
Anyone with information on the Etue's death is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-458-TIPS.
Brittany Wehner may be reached at bwehner@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @brittanymwehner. Find her on Facebook.
