Police in Miami have announced the discovery of the body of Federal Prosecutor Beranton J. Whisenant Jr., 37, on Hollywood Beach on Wednesday at 4.30 a.m. According to police, Whisenant was very well dressed when he was found, wearing a business shirt and black pants. In addition, all of his personal information was still on his body.
Upon examining the corpse, it was discovered that he had significant head injuries, consistent with a possible gunshot wound; however, it has not been determined if his death was a suicide or murder.
Whisenant worked for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Miami in its major crimes unit and the following statement was released: “The U.S. Attorney’s Office family is deeply saddened by his death. He was a wonderful lawyer and great colleague. We will miss him deeply. Our thoughts and prayers are with his friends and family.”
One witness identified as Bill Renick stated to media, “When the tide came in he obviously was caught in the surf and tumbling … about a 35-year-old African-American man, very well dressed wearing a sort of a casual business shirt, black pants, and all of his personal effects were on him and that’s what we found unusual.”
Whisenant was a married father of three children and was also an adjunct instructor at the University of Miami Paralegal Program. His death comes a month after the body of New York State Court of Appeals Judge Sheila Abdus-Salaam, 65, was discovered fully clothed floating in the Hudson River in New York City on Wednesday, April 12, 2017. Abdus-Salaam was the first African-American woman and Muslim to serve on the New York State Court of Appeals. Her death was later ruled a suicide.
