UPDATE: Victim’s name released in Dartmouth murder, authorities looking for public’s help

Dartmouth Police, Massachusetts State Police detectives assigned to the district attorney’s office and Homicide Unit prosecutors are actively investigating an apparent homicide which occurred in Dartmouth sometime late last night or early this morning.​

According to Gregg Miliote of the Bristol County District Attorney’s Office, at 5:10 a.m. today, Dartmouth Police received a 911 call from a motorist, who reported seeing a male collapsed on the side of the road in the area of 180 Horseneck Road. When police and paramedics arrived on scene, they located the male and determined him to be deceased.

Through multiple reports, the victim has been identified as Jose Cortez Cornejo, 27, of New Bedford.

Cortez Cornejo is believed to have been murdered based upon evidence gathered during the preliminary investigation.

The state Medical Examiner’s Office will take custody of the body to perform an autopsy in the coming days.

If anyone has any information regarding this case or may have been in the area of 180 Horseneck Road between 11 pm and 5 am, they are urged to contact Dartmouth Police or take advantage of the district attorney’s anonymous text a tip program.

The first way to submit an anonymous tip is via our text-a-tip program. To anonymously text a tip, text the word “Bristol” to the phone number CRIMES (274637). Then text your tip. You can also submit a web-based anonymous tip by going to Submit a Web Tip. These tip programs are completely anonymous, according to the BCDAO.