The body of Beranton Whisenant Jr., a federal prosecutor with the U.S. attorney's office in Miami, was found this week on a beach in Hollywood, Florida.

Whisenant, 37, spent more than nine years at Foley & Mansfield, a national litigation firm where he made partner in 2013. He left the firm in January to join the the U.S. Department of Justice, according to a profile on professional networking site LinkedIn. In private practice, Whisenant specialized in product liability, medical malpractice, toxic torts and securities litigation work.

Various news reports state that Whisenant's body was found with head trauma, but a cause of death has not yet been determined. Miranda Grossman, a spokeswoman for the Hollywood police department, said that a beachgoer saw Whisenant early Wednesday morning close to shore. Grossman said detectives are trying to determine if his death was a homicide, suicide or something else. One resident told a local television station that Whisenant was dressed in casual clothing with all his personal effects on him.