Authorities confirmed the identity of a body found near an Akron mall in Summit County as 47-year-old Timothy Kern of Massillon, Ohio.

Kern answered a Craigslist advertisement connected to Noble County that police said lured several victims into a deadly robbery scheme. The Summit County medical examiner said Kern died from gunshot wounds to the head.  Kern was missing for more than a week, and FBI Special Agent Vicki Anderson explained why it took longer to find the body.

"From what I understand, that mall has not been occupied for a couple of years, so it's not a highly populated area," said Anderson, who works with the Cleveland Division.

The discovery of Kern's body in a shallow grave came merely hours before Noble County Sheriff's Office announced another body was found in Stock Township -- also in a shallow grave. The latest discovery is also thought to be related the scheme.

If these crimes are connected, it would bring the death toll to three people. The crimes could raise concerns whether people are safe when answering ads online. Computer expert Paul Francois said the secret is playing it safe before heading out.

"Do your research first before you go anywhere. Go to Google, go to your favorite search engine, plug in the seller's name," said Francois, who owns BootsUp Computer Service.

He also said performing a background check can help, but he stressed that protection in-person is just as important as it is online.

Even though agents still haven't said if these crimes are connected, Anderson said they are keeping this latest discovery in mind as they perform the investigation.

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