Man whose body was found stuffed in barrel in Malibu identified

A lifeguard discovered the grisly contents of the barrel

A man whose body was found stuffed in a barrel floating in the Malibu Lagoon has been identified, police said.

The victim has been identified as Javonnta Murphy, 32, according to the Los Angeles County Medical Examiner-Coroner's office.

Mr Murphy was reportedly a father and an aspiring rapper, according to the Los Angeles Times.

He grew up in South Los Angeles as the middle child of five, all boys, and reportedly enjoyed running and weight lifting.

Patrick Nelson, who dated Mr Murphy's mother, told the LA Times that he knew the aspiring artist and was floored by the circumstances of his discovery.

“He was a good kid, good person. He didn’t gang-bang. What happened to him, I just don’t understand,” Mr Nelson said.

A sanitation worker spotted a barrel floating in the Malibu Lagoon near the Pacific Coast Highway bridge on Sunday night, according to KTLA. They attempted to haul the barrel out of the water but found it was too heavy, so they left it floating in the lagoon.

The next morning, a lifeguard found the same barrel bobbing in the water, and swam out to pull it to shore. The lifeguard reportedly was the one who discovered a body inside the barrel.

Lt Hugo Raynaga told reporters that the body did not "look decomposed or like it had been there for a long time," and noted that high tide may have brought the barrel in from the ocean.

Swimmers and surfers were reportedly "deeply concerned" when they learned they'd been relaxing alongside human remains.

A beachgoer told KTLA that the idea was "unthinkable."

Police are still investigating the area for any clues pertaining to the barrel's provenance, including statements witnesses and security footage.

Anyone with information is encouraged to contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.