San Antonio, TX — San Antonio police are investigating after a decomposed man’s body was discovered Thursday morning inside the attic area of an abandoned motel on the city’s Northeast Side.
Officers responded around 8:45 a.m. Thursday, Aug. 20, to the abandoned property in the 9500 block of Interstate 35 near Whirlwind Drive, where the remains were found.
Police said the property is known as a location frequented by people experiencing homelessness.
Because of the condition of the remains, authorities were unable to immediately determine how long the man had been inside the building.
Investigators said a drug overdose or natural causes are among the possibilities being considered, but neither has been confirmed.
The man’s identity, age and official cause and manner of death have not yet been released. The Bexar County Medical Examiner’s Office is working to determine those details.
Authorities have also not confirmed whether foul play was involved.
The discovery comes after the immediate I-35 and Whirlwind Drive area previously saw emergency activity involving vacant lodging property, including a vacant-hotel fire in October 2025. It has not been confirmed that the earlier fire involved the same building where the body was discovered Thursday.
Additional information is expected as the medical examiner’s investigation continues.