STOCKTON, Calif. -- Three people are being questioned in the death of a federal Department of Corrections employee found dead Wednesday outside of his Stockton home, police said.

Foul play is suspected in the death, police said.

The death comes just a week after a state corrections officer was found slain in Sacramento, but police said the cases are not related.

The body of Michael Joseph Rutledge, 35, was found in front of his house in the 3800 block of Montana Street at around 7:15 a.m.

Rutledge worked at the Federal Correctional Institution in Dublin.

The body was spotted near trash cans shortly after 7 a.m. by workers picking up the garbage. The sanitation employees called police, Stockton police Officer Pete Smith said. Authorities added that the attack likely occurred at about 4:30 a.m.

Police said Rutledge was taken to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

"He had obvious signs of trauma, but what caused that trauma is unclear at this point," Smith said shortly after noon.

The three people have been detained for questioning, police said, but none of them have been arrested. All three have been cooperative in the investigation. Their names were not released.

Rutledge's wife and children were home at the time of the death. Rutledge was getting ready to leave for work at the time of his death, his family told police.

As of noon, yellow crime tape was still in place around the front of the home. Small evidence markers left by police could be seen near a red cap, plastic water bottle and other items.

Police will not say how Rutledge was killed.

"Quite frankly, the motive at this point is up in the air," Smith said.

However, neighbor Eli Laboca said he heard at least three gunshots in succession coming from the area.

Police said there's no reason to think that the slaying was tied to Rutledge's job.

According to the Federal Bureau of Prisons Web site, the Federal Correctional Institution in Dublin is a low-security facility that houses women offenders. An adjacent administrative detention facility houses men on holdover or pre-trial status and a minimum security satellite camp houses women offenders.

The institution is about 20 miles southeast of Oakland.

Steve Lo, 39, a state correctional officer, was in full uniform when he was found shot to death at his south Sacramento home on Oct. 15. The investigation into that death is continuing.

Anyone with information may call police at 209-937-8377.