NATCHEZ — Police are investigating a seemingly random Friday night bludgeoning that eventually caused the death of a man.

At approximately 9:15 p.m., police responded to a scene in the 500 block of Madison Street, where they found John E. Henderson, 62, lying on the ground with a blunt trauma to the back of his head.

Witnesses at the scene said a group of men rushed around Henderson, and when the group broke Henderson was lying on the ground, Natchez Police Sgt. Craig Godbold said.

Why that was — and what weapon was used — is still up in the air, and Henderson still had his wallet on him after the bludgeoning, Godbold said.

“We are not sure of the cause of this,” he said.

Until Friday night, the police had never heard of the victim, who had a clean record, Godbold said

“We have never had any reports about him, no trouble before,” he said. “He had maybe one traffic accident report.”

But Henderson was still alive Friday night, and he was transported to Natchez Regional Medical Center, where he was given emergency treatment for his injuries before he was transported to a Jackson hospital.

He died at 1:33 p.m. Saturday in Jackson.

The cause of death was traumatic brain injury due to blunt force trauma to the back of the head, Adams County Coroner James Lee said.

Until that point, the police had been working the case as an aggravated assault, but with Henderson’s death it became a murder.

Police are looking for possible witnesses and suspects, Godbold said, and Lee said a homicide autopsy will be conducted.