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Investigators looking into mysterious death of former Jacksonville prosecutor

Investigators in south Florida are looking into the mysterious death of a federal prosecutor who spent part of his career in Jacksonville working at the State Attorney’s Office.

Beranton Whisenant Jr. was found dead on a beach near Miami. Officials say he was found with head trauma.

Action News Jax spoke to former State Attorney Harry Shorstein, who worked with Whisenant. Shorstein said Whisenant was a pleasure to work with and a talented attorney.

Whisenant was found dead with a possible gunshot wound or trauma to his head on a Hollywood, Florida, beach.

It’s unclear where Whisenant died because his body was found close to the shore. His death is now being investigated as a crime.

Authorities are working to figure out if foul play was involved. The 37-year-old worked for the U.S. State Attorney’s Office in Miami in their major crimes unit.

Before working in Miami, Whisenant worked at the State Attorney’s Office in Jacksonville.

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We reached out to them for comment and they referred us to Shorstein, who said Whisenant was a memorable hire.

“He was a pleasure to work with, he was just a dedicated prosecutor,” said Shorstein, who added that the news comes as a shock and that his thoughts are with Whisnant's family.

Whisenant was a married father of three. His family could not be reached for comment.