Fort Smith Police say the individual will be sent to the Arkansas State Crime Lab to determine the manner of death

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A death investigation is underway after a body was found Tuesday in the 2600 block of Midland Boulevard, next to A to Z Variety, a long running discount store at that address on the city’s north side.

Fort Smith police said officers were called to the commercial stretch after someone reported a deceased person in the area. Patrol units responded, secured the scene, and began the first steps of a death inquiry.

Investigators have not released the person’s name, age, or hometown. They have not said whether the death looks accidental, medical, or criminal. They also have not said what time the call came in or who first spotted the body.

Midland Boulevard is one of Fort Smith’s main north-south routes, carrying traffic toward the Midland Bridge and the Arkansas River. The 2600 block sits in a mix of storefronts, parking lots, and older commercial buildings.

to Z Variety occupies 2600 Midland Boulevard and sells groceries, household goods, and bargain merchandise. Police have not suggested the store itself is tied to the death. The location is being used only as a landmark for the block where the body was found.

When a body is discovered in a public or semi-public place, Fort Smith officers typically freeze the scene, look for obvious trauma, and call detectives if anything looks suspicious.

The Sebastian County coroner is expected to take custody of the remains. In most cases like this, the body is later sent to the Arkansas State Crime Laboratory so a pathologist can determine the official manner and cause of death. That process can take days or longer, which is why police often withhold a name until next of kin are notified and a preliminary identification is confirmed.

As of Tuesday evening, there was no public alert about a suspect, no shelter-in-place order, and no statement that nearby businesses or traffic posed a continuing threat. That silence is common in the first hours of an unidentified death.

It does not mean investigators have ruled anything in or out. It means they do not yet have facts they are willing to put on the record.

Anyone who was in the 2600 block of Midland Boulevard on Tuesday and saw something unusual, or who believes they may know who the deceased person is, can contact the Fort Smith Police Department. Detectives usually ask for a time, a description, and any video from phones or nearby cameras.

Until the medical examiner and detectives release more, the only confirmed facts are these: a body was found Tuesday near A to Z Variety on Midland Boulevard, Fort Smith police are investigating, and the identity and cause of death have not been made public.