Whitton, Jack L.

the death of an elderly rural Miami man is being investigated as a homicide. Deputies found the badly decomposed body of Whitton on Tuesday after being called to the house by a neighbor who became concerned about the 72-year-old man after not seeing him for several days. Whitton lived alone. Whitton's dog was also found dead at the home, he was found chained on the porch without food or water. Investigators said there were no signs that Whitton died as the result of violence, but they were looking into the death as a routine investigation conducted after an unattended death. "We're treating it as a homicide because of the amount of time that has passed since Mr. Whitton's death," officials said. Whitton's body has been sent to Tulsa Okla for a forensic examination at the state medical examiners' office and the dog's body will be examined by a local veterinarian, according to Capt. Bob Ernst, a commander with the sheriff's department. Preliminary results of the examinations are not expected for several days.