Man’s body discovered in Pelham

Published 2:00 pm Wednesday, February 15, 2012

By NEAL WAGNER / City Editor

Pelham police officers said they suspect no foul play after a crew of construction workers found the body of a 35-year-old Pelham attorney near the Shelby County Services Building off Shelby County 35 on Feb. 15.

Shelby County Coroner Diana New identified the man as Chace William Swatek, whose law practice is listed on Canyon Park Drive in Pelham.

Pelham police Lt. Davy Lott said construction workers were preparing to do work in the area when they found the body behind a stack of metal pipes at about 11 a.m. The pipes were near the intersection of Shelby County 35 and County Services Drive, Lott said.

As of Feb. 15, police had not yet released the man’s name, pending notification of his next of kin.

Lott said the man’s cause of death was unknown, and was pending an autopsy by the Shelby County coroner’s office. New said an autopsy was scheduled for Feb. 16.

As of Feb. 15, no criminal charges had been filed, and Lott said police suspected no foul play was involved in the man’s death.

Lott said the man likely died within 24 hours of the construction workers discovering the body.