Body found near Lake Jessamine identified

Deputies ID body as 17-year-old Kenny Nguyen

ORLANDO, Fla. – A body that was discovered last week near a boat ramp on Lake Jessamine has been identified.

The Orange County Sheriff's Office identified the body as 17-year-old Kenny Nguyen.

Officials said Nguyen's body was found Wednesday evening near a boat ramp on Lake Jessamine in the 5300 block Lake Jessamine Drive.

Detectives said a couple returning from a day of boating saw a body lying behind a house near the shoreline and called 911.

"The investigators have gotten here, and they have determined that this Hispanic male in his late teens or early 20s has died of trauma," OCSO spokeswoman Jane Watrel said. "They don't believe he died where he was found."

Investigators said the body was found close to the lake in vegetation, and that the couple did the right thing.

"This body could have gone undetected for a while, so were very grateful that this couple was observant, they saw something that was wrong and we are now here," Watrel said.

Deputies said they are not looking for any suspects. It's still unclear how long the body was there.

Jennifer Harvey has been living in the neighborhood near the Woodsmere boat ramp for 20 years and said the ramp is a popular spot for people in the area. She said, however, that she never imagined something like this happening so close to home.

"I wouldn't have expected it," she said. "They close (for) the day every night before sundown, and I'm assuming it gets opened at sunrise. It's a pretty safe neighborhood, but to find out there's a dead body over there, that's a little scary."

The Orange County Sheriff's Office said the Medical Examiner's Office will determine the exact cause of death.