Person found dead was assistant U.S. attorney

Hollywood Police have identified the man found dead Wednesday morning near the beach as Beranton Whisenant, an assistant U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Florida.

His death may have been caused by a possible gunshot wound to his head or other type of trauma, police spokeswoman Miranda Grossman said.

A beachgoer found the body just offshore around 6:20 a.m. Wednesday near Magnolia Terrace, police spokesman Christian Lata said.

Officers pulled Whisenant to shore and found him dead, Lata said. He was 37.

Sarah Schall, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, referred questions about the investigation to Hollywood police. She confirmed that Whisenant, who was assigned to the Miami office, was hired as a federal prosecutor a few months ago.

In a statement released by the office, Acting U.S. Attorney Benjamin G. Greenberg for the Southern District of Florida said: “The U.S. Attorney’s Office family was deeply shocked and saddened to learn of Beranton’s passing. He was a great lawyer and a wonderful colleague and we will miss him deeply. Our thoughts are with his family and friends.”

Investigators are looking into the cause of death, Grossman said.

Whisenant graduated from the University of Florida Levin College of Law in 2004 and was admitted to the Florida Bar the same year.

Detectives from the Hollywood Police Department’s Homicide Division are investigating.

JOE CAVARETTA/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Hollywood police were called to investigate the discovery of a body in the surf Wednesday morning. The man was identified as Beranton Whisenant, a federal prosecutor.