Neighbors usually notice when a car sits too long. But this one, parked at a business lot in Woodbridge, Virginia, crossed two county lines without anyone peeking around the interior. It ultimately spent 15 days under tow before anyone realized there was a dead man inside.

Prince William County investigators said a private towing company removed the vehicle from the parking lot of PS Business Park on November 3.

The car’s owner, a 49-year-old man, had already been reported missing two days earlier in Prince William County. Officers noted no signs of foul play at the time and did not consider him endangered.

That same tow operation later transferred the car to a second lot in Fairfax County.

No one checked the interior

There the car sat until November 18. Tow yard employees in Fairfax County looked more closely and found the man’s body in the back seat area.

They contacted Fairfax County police, who responded and alerted Prince William County detectives.

Authorities believe the man was the car owner

They transported the body to the medical examiner to confirm identity and determine cause and manner of death. Investigators explained they saw no immediate evidence of foul play and said there appeared to be no ongoing safety risk to the public.

The scenario leaves lingering questions about “protocol”

Cars get towed all the time in business parks, especially in Northern Virginia where parking enforcement moves faster than some traffic lines. Yet a tow from Woodbridge to Fairfax County happened without anyone spotting a body.

Detectives reported they will release more information if necessary. So far, the story’s that a car owner “vanished,” his vehicle moved twice, and whatever happened in that back seat went unnoticed for more than two weeks.