CHAMPAIGN, IL- A body found in the backyard of a Champaign home over the weekend has been identified and police are calling it a murder.

Champaign County Coroner Duane Northrup says the body is that of 49 year-old Renard Jackson. Jackson had been missing since last November. 

Police says due to the "suspicious circumstances" surrounding Jackson's disappearance and the concealment of his body, they treating this case as a homicide.

Jackson's body was found next to a shed in the 1500 block of Hedge Road by a home owner Sunday afternoon. Police say Jackson was found under a pile of debris, which concealed the body from being seen.

The coroner says Jackson was identified by fingerprint records.

Preliminary autopsy results are pending and the investigation into this case is being conducted by the coroner's office and Champaign Police. Â