NATCHEZ — Natchez police are asking for the public’s help to find the person who shot and killed a 37-year-old man near his house last week.

Natchez Police Department Detective Jerry Ford said no new information has come to light in the investigation of the death of Natchez resident Orinthia Bailey.

Bailey was found dead in the roadway on Itasca Drive at approximately 1 a.m. Sunday after police received a call from a nearby resident saying a loud gunshot was heard in the area, Ford said.

Preliminary autopsy results showed Bailey was shot once in the hip.

Ford said investigators found a shell casing from a .45-cal. handgun near Bailey’s body.

Full autopsy results, Ford said, should return in a week or two, with slower than expected return times because of the holidays.

Investigators are treating the case as a homicide, Ford said.

“We’re following up on some leads right now, but so far we haven’t been able to make an arrest,” Ford said. “Right now, it’s still early in the investigation. We’re following all the leads we’re getting, but we just don’t have a good one yet.”

Ford said Bailey lived in the area and could have been walking home when he was shot.

One witness in the area, Ford said, told police they saw a vehicle driving away from the scene shortly after hearing the shots, but couldn’t provide exact details of the vehicle.

“We’ve been getting different views from different people who were in that area at the time, but we’ve not been able to determine what type of car it was,” Ford said. “We’re going to keep working this from every angle and look at all the possible solutions.”

Ford said investigators are urging the public to come forward with any and all information they might have on the shooting.

“If they want to do it confidentially, that’s fine, but we are still asking them for help,” Ford said. “There will be a reward offered to those with information.”

Anyone with information about the shooting can call Crime Stoppers at 601-442-5000. Crime Stoppers offers rewards of up to $1,000 for tips leading to the arrest and conviction of a suspect. Callers may remain anonymous.