Man found dead in vacant Austin lot had been missing for a month

A man found shot to death Saturday afternoon in a vacant lot in the West Side Austin neighborhood had been missing for more than a month.

Officers responded at 12:23 p.m. to a call of a person lying face down in a vacant lot in the 5400 block of West Ohio, according to Chicago Police.

Antoine D. Watkins, 22, was dead at the scene, according police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office. He lived about a block away.

An autopsy Sunday found Watkins died of multiple gunshot wounds and his death was ruled a homicide, according to the medical examiner’s office.

It was not clear when the shooting happened. It appeared the body had been in the lot for awhile, according to a police source. Watkins was last seen Feb. 3 and was reported missing Feb. 8.

Area North detectives are investigating.