Police: Prosecutor found dead in Florida killed himself

HOLLYWOOD, Fla. – Investigators have concluded that a federal prosecutor whose body was found on a Florida beach had killed himself.

The Hollywood Police Department issued a statement Thursday saying detectives and the medical examiner determined that 37-year-old Beranton J. Whisenant Jr.’s death was caused by a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Whisenant’s fully clothed body was found on a Hollywood beach in May.

Whisenant, a father of three children, worked for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Miami in its major crimes unit after joining the office in January. Court records show he had been handling several visa and passport fraud cases.

Whisenant spent 13 years in private legal practice mostly dealing with asbestos lawsuits.