Clayton County police ID man found shot to death near hospital

A man found shot to death in Riverdale near Southern Regional Medical Center has been identified, but officials have so far been unable to contact his family.

The man has been identified as 42-year-old Courtney Branch of North Carolina, according to the Clayton County Police Department. Typically, the identity of a homicide victim is not released until the person’s next-of-kin have been notified of their death.

In this case, because Clayton police have not been able to contact Branch’s family, they are requesting assistance from the public in locating his relatives.

“Detectives have exhausted all leads in an attempt to contact family with negative results,” the department said in a news release Wednesday.

Investigators believe Branch has family in North Carolina and New York. They shared a photo in the hopes that someone would recognize him. The image is the only photograph of Branch that detectives have been able to find.

Branch’s body was found the evening of Oct. 3 near the intersection of Roy Huie and Westbury roads, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution previously reported. Branch had been shot multiple times in what Clayton police called a “horrendous incident.”

Anyone with information about Branch’s death or any of his family members is asked to contact Clayton police at 770-477-3747 or call Crime Stoppers Greater Atlanta at 404-577-8477.