By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
CHEHALIS – Authorities are still trying to track down next-of-kin for the homeless man who died outdoors in freezing temperatures this week, but want in the meantime to share some information to allay fears of those who have family members living on the streets.
He was 57 years old and has been residing in the Centralia area for perhaps a year and half, Lewis County Coroner Warren McLeod said this morning. He has also spent time in Aberdeen, he said.
McLeod wants to find and notify his relatives of the death, before releasing the man’s name to the public.
“I’ve gotten calls from three families who have people on the streets,” McLeod said. “It causes a lot of stress for people who have family in that situation.”
Authorities initially revealed very little after he was found dead on Wednesday morning in Centralia’s Rotary Riverside Park off Harrison Avenue. An autopsy confirmed he died of hypothermia from the cold.
Centralia Police Department detective Corey Butcher said he was discovered at one of the covered picnic areas, with all of his belongings, sleeping bag, backpack, food and such.
It’s a sad thing, McLeod said.
“In 2016, in the U.S., one of the most developed countries in the world, that you can curl up and go to sleep and die,” McLeod said.
Temperatures were at 32 degrees in the Twin Cities for most of that night.
McLeod said the dead man’s information lists him as 6-feet tall and 215 pounds. A recent jail booking photo shows him with long black hair, somewhat balding in front and with graying facial hair, he said.
No missing person reports have been found for him, but a check with a nationwide law enforcement database shows he’s had contacts with police in several states, McLeod said.
Those places include, Illinois, Las Vegas, Arizona, Florida and southern California, according to McLeod.
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For background, read “News brief: Man without a home basically froze to death” from Thursday December 15, 2016, here
Tags: By Sharyn L. Decker, news reporter
One thing you got right Victoriantnt, Once you move here from “abroad,” you are STUCK HERE in Chehalis! Economy is so ONE sided towards the CITY EMPLOYEES/EMPLOYERS! Enough to gag a magget and take down a UNION or 2,3 4!
Communist is just the polite way of putting it. If there wasn’t homeless people there wouldn’t be funding for programs or Nazis to say they help people in need and keep the power to play god with lives. They call us crazy alcoholics drug addicts and if we dont conform to their rules and guidlines then we’re accused of not wanting to help ourselves.a sick game these people play even at the cost of children’s well being. They pick and choose whos worthy of being saved and if someone Decides they don’t like you or piss someone off or god forbid stand up for yourself and call them on their bullshit
…you can kiss getting any long term help goodbye and don’t even think about leaving the county…. They lock you in just so they can watch you suffer.
Your belief that the current system is communist is delusional. Communism would take private property (i.e. Empty apartments, homes) and either claim ownership or use the people’s money (i.e. Taxes) to force sale of said properties in order to provide “free housing”. AKA agent tadesko’s “non-communist plan?”. Claiming women stay to clean up the messes of men is without any substance. Expecting the federal government (big government) to address this in the way you imply is socialist in nature. No doubt the freezing death of this individual is tragic, but let’s wait to see the facts before claiming the entire system, as well as individual accountability, has failed. Eh.
It’s easy to say what, but difficult to say why eh NWFocus?
Delusional post agent tadesko.
I agree with some parts of your post Agent but I know the police will say it does not appear to involve foul play so that the public does not have to worry about a killer being on the loose.
I’m afraid that the LC “officials” don’t get paid enough to care or have time on their hands enough to stop and give a shit about anything except the end of their so-called ‘working day’ so they can get on to the important things in life, themselves.
The system is communist in nature and as a whole, abhors individuality or the expression of emotion. People who live in this neo-communist system often say things like, “The squeaky wheel gets the grease”, or “The nail that sticks out get hammered harder.”
A system like this is inherently discriminatory of women in general, paying them less for more time on the clock. In this system, women are prone to keep working long after the so-called “men” are gone home, so that they can clean up their messes.
This could have been an opportunity for the city or county ‘officials’ to spotlight the overwhelming problem of homelessness in an area where there are so many empty homes and apartments. A real effort could have been made to not only educate people about the dangers of being homeless and why we should never accept homelessness as a thing, but to solicit Federal Funding to allocate more Federal monies to help assuage the problem.
But no. They couldn’t even be bothered with waiting for the result of an autopsy before minimizing the whole tragedy as “no foul play”.
Well, sorry to burst the bubble, but leaving a human being to sleep outside in a town with empty homes and apartments might not be a crime today, but the Federal government will not tolerate such an abdication of responsibility on the parts of county and state ‘officals’ forever. One day those who tout themselves as “being in charge” will be charged and held accountable for abdicating responsibility.
And maybe it would be better for the family to read about their loved one’s death on sirens instead of being notified properly.
This is freaking horrible. First you scare half of Lewis County only saying dead man in park then no info then nothing but died of elements and finally an age!! Not refering to the articles just the coroners lack of at least a description!