MAKINEN — The Midwest Medical Examiner’s Office has ruled the death of a man in St. Louis County as a homicide.

The sheriff’s office has identified the victim as 47-year-old Frank Gerald Meyer. Deputies found his body was found Tuesday afternoon at a residence where they were asked to do a welfare check. Family and friends were concerned about Meyer after they hadn’t seen him in a few days.

Makinen is a small, rural community southeast of Eveleth. St. Louis County Sheriff’s Lt. Nate Skelton tells WDIO-TV the suspicious death is unusual for the area in northeastern Minnesota. There was no immediate word on the cause of death.