Body Found In Burned Truck In Bellevue Identified

NASHVILLE, Tenn. –Police have identified the body found inside a burned truck in Bellevue early Friday morning. Police identified the victim as 25-year-old Joshua Lars Strickland, of Burns. Police say a motorist flagged down a police officer after seeing a vehicle on fire behind the Old Regal Cinema off of Highway 70 South in Bellevue around 3:30 a.m. When firefighters arrived on scene, the truck was fully engulfed in flames. Only when crews put the fire out did they see the body lying in the front passenger's seat of the truck. Police said it is clear from the evidence that Strickland is the victim of a homicide. They are not releasing any other details so as not to interfere with their ongoing investigation. "Because of the possibility of nefarious acts we want to make sure and not preclude anything. We're going to start from the very beginning, collect all the evidence, and recreate the scene as much as we can," said Captain Chris Taylor with the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department. Police are unsure why Strickland was in the Bellevue area. Police said the truck was left charred with no visible license plates. Officials have asked anyone with information about the incident to contact the Metro Police Department at 74-CRIME.