Injured, naked man freezes to death in Columbus « Columbus Underground Messageboard

Columbus Underground Messageboard » General Columbus Discussion » Everyday Chit Chat

Injured, naked man freezes to death in Columbus

[61 posts] [23 contributors]

Topic Rating:

(Total Ratings: )
Rate this topic:

Started 1 year ago by Roland
Latest reply from Bear

Tags:

No tags yet. Add them below.

12…4 Next »

Roland
Clintonville
Login to Send PM

Man who begged entry found dead

BY STEPHANIE CZEKALINSKI
Jan 18, 2011
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

A naked and bleeding man shattered the tranquility of a West Side neighborhood in yesterday's early-morning hours.

"Sir. Let me in!" the man yelled from Denis Hoover's porch.

---

Around 12:20 p.m., they found the man's body - arms stretched out and face down - in the shed behind 1572 Covina Dr.

Franklin County Coroner Jan Gorniak said it appears the man died of hypothermia, although a complete autopsy won't be done until today.

READ MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/live/content/local_news/stories/2011/01/18/man-who-begged-entry-found-dead.html?sid=101

Posted 1 year ago #
SusanB
Hungarian Village, Columbus' fastest growing Gayborhood!
Login to Send PM

The CPD really dropped the ball on this one.

Posted 1 year ago #
Roland
Clintonville
Login to Send PM

I'm shocked at the story. I've had weirdos knock at my door at strange hours before. Some friends. Some homeless. Some gas supplier salespeople. I'm hesitant to invite anyone in, but I couldn't just completely turn away someone in obvious serious trouble. I'm not familiar with the neighborhood where this took place.

The police were called and they could not find the guy who left a bloody trail to the place he died, in one of the residents own backyard.

I'm saddened that a person froze to death. I want to hear more details.

Posted 1 year ago #
misskitty
Columbus
Login to Send PM

Definitely an odd story and interesting that they said no foul play suspected.
I wonÃ¢â‚¬â„¢t say that the home owner is crap for not letting him in that is a tuff call, But at least he called 911.
ItÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s a shame the guy passed it seems like CPD did not stay as long as they should have for something attached to such an alarming call.

Posted 1 year ago #
Snarf
Dystopia
Login to Send PM

That is a very sad story.

I too have had some oddballs ring my door, I just speak to them through the glass - that alone usually gives them the point.

Posted 1 year ago #
Twixlen
Westgate, Columbus
Login to Send PM

This story has been bugging me all day. Like a smudge I can't erase.

I live on the Hilltop - I've answered my door at midnight (after first looking out to assess the situation). From the footage, he lives in the 'burbs, in a pop-up subdivision, far from the real guts of the Hilltop.

It also bothers me, greatly, that this guy, clearly in great distress, having gone thru something terrible, couldn't get help in a full neighborhood. Even in the middle of the night. What happened to him that he ended up there, in that state? How will they ever figure it out? (Cue The Who....)

And yes, the CPD DID drop the ball - but then, this district is blasted with ridiculous crime right now; it is huge, with pockets of normal & pockets of severe crime. The criminals that have effected Westgate were caught because neighbors literally followed them home or to where ever they were roosting.... regular folks, taking a risk for the benefit of others.

Posted 1 year ago #
joev
Merion Village
Login to Send PM

A man coming to my door and demanding that I let him in would not be welcome in my house.

Posted 1 year ago #
groundrules

Login to Send PM

joev wrote >>
A man coming to my door and demanding that I let him in would not be welcome in my house.

no shit. but how about a 'here's a blanket or two, you stay right here on this porch and don't move- i'm calling someone to help you'?

Posted 1 year ago #
Core_Models
Columbus
Login to Send PM

I most likely wouldn't have let him in, I certainly would have answered and provided coats/blankets/a ride to the shelter, whatever. Ignoring someone who is clearly in distress is inhuman, IMO. If I risk my own safety to be a better human being, than so be it.

Posted 1 year ago #
rus

Login to Send PM

groundrules wrote >>

joev wrote >>
A man coming to my door and demanding that I let him in would not be welcome in my house.

no shit. but how about a 'here's a blanket or two, you stay right here on this porch and don't move- i'm calling someone to help you'?

That. Providing help... cautiously.

One of the neighbors apparently did call CPD. Guess it's too hard to see a blood trail and footprints in snow at night. Or, something.

This last bit from the article:

At this point, the man is as much a mystery to police as he is to neighbors.

Columbus homicide detective Patricia Dailey said police will wait for autopsy results before deciding what steps to take next.

"We don't have anything that says 'foul play' from here," Dailey said.

Police think the man likely ran into the neighborhood from the woods in the park, behind the homes on Covina, Dailey said. Police were searching the area yesterday for a car, clothes or anything else that might have belonged to the man.

Is interesting as well. Guy leaving a bloody trail doesn't say "foul play"?

Posted 1 year ago #
mrsgeedeck
Castle of Lions
Login to Send PM

Reading the article though, the guy didn't ask to squat on someone's porch for the night, so I'm not really clear what should have prompted anyone to give him a coat or blanket.
To me, calling the cops have been the sufficient way to handle the situation. The only other thing residents might have done was asked him to stay put while they called for help.

Posted 1 year ago #
rus

Login to Send PM

mrsgeedeck wrote >>
Reading the article though, the guy didn't ask to squat on someone's porch for the night, so I'm not really clear what should have prompted anyone to give him a coat or blanket.
To me, calling the cops have been the sufficient way to handle the situation. The only other thing residents might have done was asked him to stay put while they called for help.

...

naked in 17F weather doesn't say "here's a blanket" to you?

I'd offer one at least, but also presume dude is batshit crazy, stoned to bejezus, or some combination thereof.

Posted 1 year ago #
Core_Models
Columbus
Login to Send PM

Interesting responses here. Wonder if a naked, bloody woman pounding on a door in the middle of the night begging for help would garner the same "not sure what anyone could have done" mentality.

Posted 1 year ago #
rus

Login to Send PM

Core_Models wrote >>
Interesting responses here. Wonder if a naked, bloody woman pounding on a door in the middle of the night begging for help would garner the same "not sure what anyone could have done" mentality.

Giggity

Posted 1 year ago #
Snarf
Dystopia
Login to Send PM

I have an idea...

Let's all wildly randomly speculate for a half dozen pages?

Posted 1 year ago #
labi
Weinland Park
Login to Send PM

What an awful story. I immediately put myself in the resident's place, because that has happened to me numerous times before. When people pound on my door after dark, I don't even go so far as opening the door to speak to them through the storm door - I just call the police. I doubt I would have ever realized the guy was naked. I'm considering that the person may be armed, may be pursued by someone else who's armed, may be just trying to get me to open the door so he can break in, may be utterly, ravingly out of his mind to the point that he could harm me even if burglary wasn't his intention...

And I don't think I would hold it against the police if they weren't able to follow an intermittent blood trail after dark - who knows, the guy may have been hiding somewhere else during the time they were looking.

But I can't imagine how the residents who heard but didn't personally respond to the injured man must feel today. Terrible.

Posted 1 year ago #
rus

Login to Send PM

Snarf wrote >>
I have an idea...
Let's all wildly randomly speculate for a half dozen pages?

But brain, that's what we do every day!

*NARF*

Posted 1 year ago #
labi
Weinland Park
Login to Send PM

Core_Models wrote >>
Interesting responses here. Wonder if a naked, bloody woman pounding on a door in the middle of the night begging for help would garner the same "not sure what anyone could have done" mentality.

The women in my neighborhood aren't the ones standing around on street corners with guns holding up their pants. So - no. Although you're right, rus, it sure is hilarious to think about.

Posted 1 year ago #
mrsgeedeck
Castle of Lions
Login to Send PM

I'm with @labi if someone starts screaming and pounding on my door, I'm not peeking from behind the curtains, or turning on the porch light to check them out, I'm calling the police. I'd more than likely stay by the door to make sure whomever, or whatever they were running from didn't attack them on my doorstep, but man, woman, or helpless kitten I'm not letting them in.

Posted 1 year ago #
melikecheese
Merion Village
Login to Send PM

I would not have answered the door, but I would have seen a naked man and given him the blankets off my couch and called 911.

I think it is unfair to attack CPD in this case. It was dark out and midnight, the amount of blood was very small based on the pictures of the front doors. The homeowner did not see the blood, the cops may not have come to their door as they were looking for a man outside. I think it is also silly to expect them to find footprints and follow them in the dark, who knows who's foot prints are around.

It does seem odd to me that no one managed to try and help the guy, but it's hard to get help when your a naked man, much less a naked man at midnight pounding on a door screaming sir let me in!.

Posted 1 year ago #