Archive for Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Police investigating dead body found near KU campus
June 20, 2007
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Lawrence police discover dead body in shed
After a complaint of a foul smell, police found a body inside a shed on a rental property on the 1200 block of Louisiana Street. Enlarge video
It's a mystery.
Lawrence police are investigating an unattended death near the Kansas University campus after a resident discovered a body hanging inside a small outbuilding Tuesday afternoon.
"It's obviously been there for a long time," said Capt. Ray Urbanek.
Because the Oread Neighborhood is so close to campus and often bustling with traffic, two neighbors said the incident caught them off guard.
"It was completely unbelievable. I don't know what to say," said Melissa Fuller, a KU senior from Ottawa.
They had noticed a foul smell for a few days.
"The odor was very strong," said Craig Mulanax, a KU student from Derby.
The body was discolored because of how long it had been there, Urbanek said. Officers could not immediately tell its race or sex, much less make an identification.
Police were called around 3:15 p.m. to an alley in the 1200 block of Louisiana Street after someone who lives in the house on the property made the discovery.
The residents of the home, who were all accounted for, had also detected a foul smell, Urbanek said. They were looking for the odor's source when one of them discovered the body, he said.
Tuesday evening, a resident of the home declined comment other than to say the roommates did not use the shed.
The property's owner, Dave Hamill, said in a telephone interview that the building was formerly a sauna but now tenants could use it typically for bicycle storage. He was unaware if the current tenants used the shed.
Hamill, who was out of the state Tuesday, said police notified him about the situation and that he also was puzzled.
"All the people who live there are accounted for and there, so it's obviously somebody that we don't know," Hamill said.
He said he hoped officers were able to identify the person.
"It's just a building that somebody was able to get into, and they did whatever they did," Hamill said.
Detectives had removed the body and turned the building back over to management by 7:30 p.m. Urbanek said an autopsy would likely be done today to help investigators determine more.
"It looks pretty much just like a suicide to me," he said.
Police did ask for help identifying the person, who was found wearing a baseball cap that said 54th Street Grill and Bar and a yellow North Face brand backpack.
20 June 2007
at 8:01 a.m.
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trinity (Anonymous) says…
ah, this is so sad! hopefully someone is combing through missing person lists? sheesh. my heart also goes out to you young'uns that have been firsthand “witnesses” to this sadness.
20 June 2007
at 8:16 a.m.
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sourpuss (Anonymous) says…
It isn't necessarily a suicide. Hopefully a full investigation will take place before anyone jumps to conclusions. After all, you find what you are looking for, so just look for facts.
I'm sure they can get an ID from dental records. I'm glad I didn't find the body… whew. This is regular CSI.
20 June 2007
at 8:25 a.m.
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Centrist (Anonymous) says…
Weird that they would do this to themselves in such an unusual place. And still wearing a backpack, etc. Very strange.
I wouldn't rule out foul play whatsoever, just yet.
20 June 2007
at 8:37 a.m.
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offtotheright (Anonymous) says…
Strange to me that the building had been turned back over to management at 7:30pm. What about evidence that could be there?
20 June 2007
at 8:49 a.m.
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trinity (Anonymous) says…
possibly there was a note or something with this person that indicated suicide? dunno, just a guess.
and i agree, shouldn't rule out foul play…you just never do know.
20 June 2007
at 8:58 a.m.
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imastinker (Anonymous) says…
This is very sad.
20 June 2007
at 9:18 a.m.
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geekin_topekan (Anonymous) says…
Assuming it was suicide,do you think he made a tearfilled call to everyone he thought would give a $hit that he was thinking about killing himself?No.
Did he call 911 and report his personal crisis?No.
Did he call paramedics with hope that they would arrive “just in time” to save him from himself?No.
He called noone,didnt announce his intentions to the world,he simply did what he felt was the next step in a painful life.
May he rest in peace.His troubles are over.
Anyone who does do all that other nonsense and lives “to tell the tale and help others” makes a grotesque mockery of this man's pain and deserves every minute of co-dependant BS they bring on themselves.Shame on everyone of them.
If you truly want to die,follow this person's lead and just go and do it.Spare me all the tearfilled crisis calls until you are serious about pulling up your boot straps and getting a life.
I have seen successful suicide.I have also seen all the drama filled attention grabbers and they make me sick.
Carry on.
20 June 2007
at 9:25 a.m.
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TheEleventhStephanie (Anonymous) says…
You'll be attacked any minute Geekin, but I agree.
And may he rest in peace.
20 June 2007
at 9:33 a.m.
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chucknoblet (Anonymous) says…
Yes, this is very sad. I smelled a horrible odor Sat. night, MANY blocks away, when i was driving near 14th and Conn., so I hope there's not a dead body around 14th & Conn, too.
20 June 2007
at 9:34 a.m.
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lisabeth2002 (Anonymous) says…
why do we assume the body is that of a male?
20 June 2007
at 9:36 a.m.
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TheEleventhStephanie (Anonymous) says…
Ok, then, may he or she rest in peace. You are right Lisabeth. We don't know.
20 June 2007
at 9:47 a.m.
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pilch (Anonymous) says…
was the backpack full of rocks?
20 June 2007
at 10:06 a.m.
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sarahjlindsey (Anonymous) says…
geekin
Assuming this person never talked to another about his feelings, problems, and thoughts of suicide are ridiculous considering you know nothing about the person or situation. Maybe he talked to an idiot like you that told him to “just go and do it.” It will be a sad day for you when you finally understand humanity and realize how you have interacted with it.
PS
pilch-
no time to make jokes or ask asinine questions. This person had a family and was obviously very tortured.
20 June 2007
at 10:47 a.m.
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offtotheright (Anonymous) says…
Could have been murder!
20 June 2007
at 11:56 a.m.
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Friedrich (Anonymous) says…
They think this individual was homeless. No, you don't need a backpack full of rocks to hang yourself. It had toiletries in it, which is pretty typical of one who has nowhere else to keep such necessities. The shed was turned back over to the management at 7:30 last night after the police had been there over 4 hours. Whatever “evidence” was there was undoubtedly uncovered, and now, all that's left in my backyard is a shed with a floor covered in bodily fluids. Forgive me for saying so, but I rather think that the paid, trained professionals, those who actually saw the “crime scene” with their own eyes, however antagonizing they might be at times, know better than anyone else. The real travesty here will not be whether or not the Lawrence Police Department chooses to draw out their investigation of this “foul play,” but what the city intends to do to improve services for those in the homeless community who are so troubled that they have to kill themselves, and have nowhere else to do it but in a vacant, unlocked shack in the student ghetto.
Can we accept this as gruesome as it actually is and not speculate to make it even worse?
20 June 2007
at 12:02 p.m.
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crazyks (Anonymous) says…
Well, yeah, I guess since it was in your back yard you'd rather think it was a suicide than a murder…
But it's really way too soon to make any blanket assumptions either way.
20 June 2007
at 12:04 p.m.
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hawkperchedatriverfront (Anonymous) says…
Friedrich commented that all that is left in “my backyard” is a shed. So, Friedrich lives on the property? that being the case, how come Friedrich and the other occupants didn't notice anything unusual?
20 June 2007
at 12:07 p.m.
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geekin_topekan (Anonymous) says…
You are absolutely correct.I have not a clue what the circumstances were.I just felt this was an appropriate time to throw in my Two bits.Thus the “ussumption” reference.
Sarah and Ramirez,I hope you feel as passionately when a stranger comes to you and asks for help.How will you react?
“Get a job”?
“Eww,I'll call the police if you don't go away!”?
20 June 2007
at 12:17 p.m.
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Friedrich (Anonymous) says…
When you smell something foul, tell me, do you go looking for a dead body? Or do you assume its something nasty in the dumpster in the alleyway, or maybe some decomposing animal. When the stench only got stronger, then you could say that, yes, we noticed something unusual. How do you think the body was found? How often do you suppose we go into the empty shed that we were told was always locked?
Part of me is upset that I read this article and these comments that have me feeling like I need to defend my housemates and myself. Fine. Call it a murder if you want, and come over and take a look in the shed and have the police draw this out as much as possible. I'm done with this.
20 June 2007
at 12:17 p.m.
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The_Original_Bob (Anonymous) says…
“Can we accept this as gruesome as it actually is and not speculate to make it even worse?” Friedrich
Unfortunately, that's not how things work around here. Gross speculation and mass hysterical thoughts are prominent on a deal like this. You should have seen the posts last year after a kid got ran over by a car.
20 June 2007
at 12:27 p.m.
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hawkperchedatriverfront (Anonymous) says…
Hamill's comments makes it appear that access was easy to shed and that the tenants could use it. None of the tenants have ever used it or looked into it or any of their guests? That would be hard to believe given that the boarded up house next door has been trashed by tenants of the 1236 house that Hamill owns. so, maybe someone did wander onto a property and take their life, that is sad for certain. However, according to the paper and Mr. Hammil the shed was available for the tenants use.
20 June 2007
at 12:30 p.m.
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tony88 (Anonymous) says…
Friedrich, chill out. You are acting like these people are accusing you of something. None of the speculation mentioned anything about any individuals or groups of individuals.
20 June 2007
at 12:38 p.m.
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compmd (Anonymous) says…
you see friedrich, it is the _duty_ of the police to fully investigate the death before it is ruled a murder or suicide. this will be drawn out as long as they see fit, they are the professionals after all.
ah, its a lovely day to wear my tinfoil hat.
20 June 2007
at 12:41 p.m.
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hawkperchedatriverfront (Anonymous) says…
If this Friedrich really lives at 1236 owned by Mr. Hammil, I should think that Friedrich and the roomates would be making no comment.
20 June 2007
at 12:56 p.m.
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tony88 (Anonymous) says…
that is good advice
20 June 2007
at 1:17 p.m.
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offtotheright (Anonymous) says…
-They think this individual was homeless-
they who?
-It had toiletries in it, which is pretty typical of one who has nowhere else to keep such necessities-
you certainly don't know this …you are speculating. Maybe this individual had this stuff because he/she was planning an overnight stay with someone?
-and now, all that's left in my backyard is a shed with a floor covered in bodily fluids-
Gee … you never used the shed anyway, RIGHT? How could the floor be covered in bodily fluids, if the body was decayed?
-Forgive me for saying so, but I rather think that the paid, trained professionals, those who actually saw the “crime scene” with their own eyes, however antagonizing they might be at times, know better than anyone else-
this is not necessarily true!
-but what the city intends to do to improve services for those in the homeless community who are so troubled that they have to kill themselves, and have nowhere else to do it but in a vacant, unlocked shack in the student ghetto-
The CITY and the community does way too much for the homeless, they need to get a job. Go to any of the shelters right now and you'll see men and women just sitting around, doing nothing! And no, this person did not have to kill themself, if they did. You should have kept the shack door locked..
20 June 2007
at 1:29 p.m.
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marilynman (Anonymous) says…
hawkperchedatriverfront is exactly right! ONLY 25% of all homeless people suffer from severe schizophrenia or manic-depressive disorder. Therefore the chance that this person was manic and suffered from severe dillusion is only about one in four. The police report that suggested that the person had most likely slept in there for at least a day and had been drinking should have nothing to do with the FACT that this person could have very well been brutally beaten, dragged into the shed, been given time to eat, drink and sleep and then cold-heartedly murdered.
I'm also betting that the reason the housemates had no comment was not to prevent the media and bloggers from insensitively harrasing them about their unfortunate discovery, no, in fact, the reason they had no comment was because they were BEHIND this henious crime! Actually, someone from the LPD recently told me that they were going to let the bloggers solve this crime. So myself, Hawkperchedatriverfront and compmd are going to investigate this crime before the police have a chance to unjustly rule it a suicide!
20 June 2007
at 1:36 p.m.
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cantbelievemyeyes (Anonymous) says…
You people are amazing. Have any of you ever discovered a dead body in your backyard? I haven't, but I can imagine it is very disturbing. Leave Friedrich alone. With Hawkperched accusatory comments, it is no wonder he is defensive while trying to deal with a horrible experience.
20 June 2007
at 1:37 p.m.
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pilch (Anonymous) says…
I've seen more bodies than I care for. As they decompose they swell, darken, skin sloughs off, and leak. Check out this site for more info. http://pathguy.com/index1.htm or this, warning graphic.
http://www.pathguy.com/~tdemark/0042.htm
20 June 2007
at 2:05 p.m.
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jayhawk1982 (Anonymous) says…
Perspective from a former tenet
During my tenure in the house the shed was of no utility. It was filled with assorted debris that remained from it's prior life as a sauna, it had no power, and the base of the door was jammed shut by several inched of earth. When we moved in we pried the door open, poked around, and decided it would be to much work to rehabilitate it. We quickly lost interest. It's not unreasonable that the current tenets would go months w/o opening the shed. There's no reason too.
–
This has surely been traumatic for the residents and neighbors, my sympathies are with them.
20 June 2007
at 2:15 p.m.
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Indigosky (Anonymous) says…
You internet Private I's are ridiculous. The people living in the rental house owned by Hamil are students. They are all really nice kids, good students who are active in the Lawrence community. I think that Friedrich is doing the best he or she can to provide facts here so all this speculation does not get out of hand. I would think that you would all be happy to get some first hand information instead having this “what if” orgy. If you want to discuss tragic situations consider discussing how Hamil can rent that dilapidated house for 1500.00 a month when it should be condemned.
20 June 2007
at 2:39 p.m.
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The_Original_Bob (Anonymous) says…
“I should think that Friedrich and the roomates would be making no comment.”
Why? Are they suspects?
“You internet Private I's are ridiculous.”
Amen.
20 June 2007
at 2:51 p.m.
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sourpuss (Anonymous) says…
I don't think anyone is accusing the people who lived in the house of anything, nor blaming them for not immediately searching for a body when there was a bad smell. I know I am not. I, for one, would be terribly traumatized if something like that happened to where I was living. In terms of “foul play” someone completely random could have entered the shed and committed a crime, just like someone completely random apparently entered the shed and committed suicide. I don't think accusations are being thrown around. Deep breath, all.
20 June 2007
at 3:54 p.m.
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fletch (Anonymous) says…
I used to live in that house, and I find no fault with anything that occurred. Some people on this forum need to act like human beings for 5 seconds instead of monday morning quarterbacking. That area is the heart of the student ghetto, and random smells are just part of it. You've got students moving out and throwing the entire contents of their fridge into open dumpsters. You've got frat boys peeing in the alley at night. You've got people throwing out a moldy couch in the rain and then letting it fester in the sun. You've got a wooded area by the ECM where animals run out and get hit by cars. You've got water storage tanks that get pumped every now and then, causing a stink. You've got the alumni center with two dumpsters next to a hot air conditioner unit. Smells come and go in that neighborhood, especially during the summer.
That shed used to be a sauna. It's designed to keep air in as best and possible and create a humid environment. It's not some plastic shed from Home Depot. When I lived there it was rusted shut and the door was blocked by a mound of dirt. We went in maybe twice, but it was full of splintered wood and junk, so we closed it back up. I really hope Hamill tears it down after this.
This whole thing is just a horrible incident for everybody involved. It's horrible somebody died alone. It's horrible they did it where they did. It's horrible that students who had nothing to do with it had to find the body. I know the people in that house, and they're some of the best people I know. They're all good people who work hard, volunteer, engage themselves in the community, and still do well in school. I'm just sad this whole thing happened, and I hope they're able to move past it. My thoughts are with them.
20 June 2007
at 3:58 p.m.
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penguin (Anonymous) says…
well said fletch…I have visited the place numerous time and have known many residents…I cant say anything that would be more true than what you have already said.
20 June 2007
at 4:27 p.m.
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kneejerkreaction (Anonymous) says…
..he..he..he???? Why he? THey can't tell the sex, or even the RACE….whoa….
20 June 2007
at 4:36 p.m.
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TheEleventhStephanie (Anonymous) says…
Is it the house that was the Delta Force house 10 or 15 years ago?
20 June 2007
at 4:41 p.m.
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sarahjlindsey (Anonymous) says…
geekin
Again with the assuming. It seems clear that I have logged more volunteer hours for the homeless and needy than you have time in school-assumption not ussumption. Maybe if you were better educated you could contribute more than a sorry two cents to the conversation.
20 June 2007
at 4:51 p.m.
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hawkperchedatriverfront (Anonymous) says…
$1.500 a month and the place looks like it does? What's all that crappy furniture on the porch. The place certainly doesn't have a sense of respectability, with doors hanging open screens off and a trash strewn yard. Drive by, I did and am aghast that Hamil gets $1,500 and has owned the place for 15 years after buying it from an estate. Again, I am confused as to why the purported 'tenants” report on here about the contents of a backpack and other details that the public are not privy to from any newspaper reports. 11th Stephanie, yes that is the Delta Force House which has been a blight for years and the tenants have not helped the situation.
fletch says the building was full of junk and Hamil says it can be used for bicycle storage so did anyone store their bike and ever check on the bike or is hamil just saying something, either way it is a bad deal but given the way students enter into and onto properties around campus it is hard to believe that no one was checking the shed or that it was not kept locked. Any responsible owner would have locked the building , checked on it and made it clear to tenants to keep it locked, or Hamil would have removed it.
The city should encourage residents around town to remove a bunch of these crapped out buildings at the rear lots. Waive the stupid 30 day demolition period and get rid of the crap around town.
The boarded up place 1232 that Endowment owns/sold has had people breaking into it but the city would not require it to be demolished so no wonder people could wander from place to place, whenever, wherever. this 1236 is next door. both are a fine fitting contribution to the area.
20 June 2007
at 5:01 p.m.
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that_one_dude (Anonymous) says…
Hawky, it's clear that you live in that area, and have some sort of a grudge against it and the people living there. Do you even know them that well? And did it occur to you that the tenants of the house know the contents because the police told them? Since it was their backyard, I think they'd be privy to that kind of information.
Quit looking to demonize good people who've just found themselves in a rather traumatic ordeal. It accomplishes nothing.
20 June 2007
at 5:28 p.m.
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susanparker (Anonymous) says…
David Hamil is a slum lord! He needs to take care of his properties or get rid of them. Urban blight!
20 June 2007
at 5:29 p.m.
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Crispian (Crispian Paul) says…
sourpuss (Anonymous) says:
I don't think anyone is accusing the people who lived in the house of anything, nor blaming them for not immediately searching for a body when there was a bad smell.
Actually Marilynman outright did accuse those living at the house of being involved above….
20 June 2007
at 5:35 p.m.
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geekin_topekan (Anonymous) says…
Sarah,I beg to differ.Your book smarts and righteous indignation mean d!*k.
What part of my reasoning is not absolutely correct and without mistakes?
I have seen and heard so many whiny co-dependants telling their stories of “attempted” suicide to know when to tell them to shut up and just go and do whatever they feel they need to do.Just not in my house.
As I have already stated,it is a mockery of someone in REAL pain and a call for help and nothing more.So don't come to me and tell me of your intentions.GO and I'll read about it tomorrow.But,if you are ready to have a frank and down to earth discussion of your pain,frustrations and what you would like to do about them I am all ears and will do whatever it takes to get you where you need to be.Detox?JoCo crisis center?Jump in,I'll take you there.Of you feel it is the right time.
But don't sit there and give me idle threats and snivveling stories of suicidal plans.You make a fool of yourself and a fool of anyone who takes the time to listen to such crap.S**t or get off the pot!
This person made(or may not have)made the decision that felt right.I can't imagine reaching that point and wish it on noone.But,R.I.P.That is not my point however.
My beef is with the living who have no intention of commiting the ultimate sin and take up precious time on their crying drama.You belittle those in real pain and waste everyone's time.I say this as an act of tough love not as the total jerk you have assumed of me.
Sarah, until you have walked a mile in my shoes sit on your helmet and spin!!
20 June 2007
at 5:40 p.m.
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that_one_dude (Anonymous) says…
b3, I'm familiar with the house, and if you'd ever actually been inside (which I'm going to go out on a limb and assume you haven't) you'd see that they aren't “living in filth”. The inside is kept cleaner than some supposedly more classy places I've known students to live in.
20 June 2007
at 5:45 p.m.
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gccs14r (Anonymous) says…
Kneejerk, “he” is the default pronoun when the sex of the person is unknown. s/he, (s)he, he or she, they, and all similar constructions are nonstandard PC workarounds for the absence of an appropriate neuter pronoun in English.
20 June 2007
at 5:50 p.m.
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sarahjlindsey (Anonymous) says…
I feel for you and the people that come in contact with you geekin.
good-bye
20 June 2007
at 5:53 p.m.
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jayhawk1982 (Anonymous) says…
hawkperchedatriverfront is Dave Holroyd (not to be confused w/ Hamil). He's a curmudgeon of a man that can't sell his house because he's asking to much. So instead, he blames everything on the students living on upper Louisiana.
20 June 2007
at 5:58 p.m.
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Indigosky (Anonymous) says…
B3 they are kids..give it a rest. But…….while we are talking about suicide, homelessness and helplessness, this is a good time to mention that Headquarters which provides short-term crises counseling to the Lawrence community in addition to a wealth of referrals for rape victims, domestic abuse, homeless folks and numerous other services had their funding cut by KU's Senate for some unknown reason. If you'd like to memorialize the apparent suicide victim, consider making a donation to Headquarters. BTW, I am not affiliated with Headquarters, just a fan.
20 June 2007
at 6 p.m.
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that_one_dude (Anonymous) says…
I knew it! The residents of that house are all good friends of mine, and I hear from them (and sometimes their neighbors) about how snotty he is to the rest of the people who live there all the time. It makes sense, since the guy with the long-standing vendetta against the house would be the one who first mentions the specific address (the article did not mention it at all).
20 June 2007
at 6:08 p.m.
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Marion (Marion Lynn) says…
Some of you people are just simply crass as Hell!
A person died here, folks; could we please, just for one itty-bitty moment out of your otherwise drab and wretched lives remember that?
Try.
Just for a few seconds.
It won't break your computer or your a++.
At least consider showing a little respect for this person who died alone in an old shed.
20 June 2007
at 6:51 p.m.
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crazyks (Anonymous) says…
Who said anything about the tenants having anything to do with it at all??
If I lived in that house, I would be scared out of my gourd whether it was murder or suicide. If it was suicide, I'd be upset that someone found it so easy to come in and do themselves in in my back yard.
If it was murder, I'd be scared that whoever did it might come back again.
As for them being privy to information not made public, and not published in the newspaper…well, no, that_one_dude, the police shouldn't share information with anyone about an ongoing investigation, not even the tenants. If they did, then they should be reprimanded.
Maybe we should wait for the results of the autopsy and such, before we make any assumptions about how the person died? Maybe the police should have done that before they so blithely said “it's probably a suicide”?
I for one, if I lived there, and it could possibly be murder, would seriously think about moving.
20 June 2007
at 7:22 p.m.
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penguin (Anonymous) says…
thanks for the info on that certain poster jawhawk1982…I thought it sounded like him, but was unsure.
now his comments make so much sense….also the residents, that I have known through the years, have done nothing bad to the house and are great renters. Ignore the rants of the angry man who just doesn't like students, but somehow lives right behind the alumni association.
20 June 2007
at 7:37 p.m.
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fascinating_person (Anonymous) says…
Friedrich,
This is a sensational story, and readers want to make it as exciting as possible in sleepy, summertime Lawrence. Don't feel like you're being accused of anything. It's just human curiousity and active imaginations.
PS- When something smells nasty, I ignore it for as long as possible. Would've done the exact same thing.
20 June 2007
at 7:49 p.m.
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Lynn731 (Anonymous) says…
If you have ever smelled a decaying body, you never forget it. If you ever smell something strange again, you immediately know what it is. Thank you, Lynn
20 June 2007
at 8:11 p.m.
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onceinawhile (Anonymous) says…
Does anyone have a better estimate of how long the body may have been there? “A long time” (as quoted in the article) can be days, months, years…
20 June 2007
at 8:16 p.m.
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Wilbur_Nether (Anonymous) says…
Most likely a better estimate won't be available until the coroner completes the autopsy, onceinawhile. Let's allow the professionals the time to do their work.
20 June 2007
at 8:46 p.m.
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hawkperchedatriverfront (Anonymous) says…
really now, and they all think they know but do they really, the last laugh yet to come. Wish I had those houses to sell and what makes you think this person you believe to be 'hawk' owns all those houses, facts please and pass another budwhysir.
20 June 2007
at 9:39 p.m.
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rockchalk04 (Anonymous) says…
Is “hawkperched” the one they refer to as “neighbor dave?” That guy's a real clown. What kind of person lives in the student ghetto just to hate students and call the cops to bust parties? If that's not bad enough, he comes onto this discussion and bad-mouths hard-working, involved students who were caught in a bad situation with someone committing suicide in their backyard!
20 June 2007
at 9:42 p.m.
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pelliott (Anonymous) says…
This person is probably not someone i knew. I had a friend who had his ups and downs. i wish i could reach back and talk to my friend again, he seemed sad. He seemed to want to be left alone. I thought about it, but decided to check with him later. He was a great guy, in an evening of depression he killed himself, he might not of, for a variety of reasons, one reason might of been a bothersome friend. Suicides sometimes can't be stopped, if not tonight, then tomorrow, but sometimes if they get through the night, the moment is passed. Don't tell some kid he has ruined his life, that he has made a mistake that he can never make up, that is usually not true. There is usually a different life available than the one that seems hopeless.
20 June 2007
at 11:26 p.m.
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Pywacket (Anonymous) says…
pelliot~ There is wisdom and compassion in your words. Sadly, that won't be appreciated by cretin know-it-alls like geekintopekan and his sycophant follower 11thstephanie, but many of us know exactly what you're talking about. I have friends who have been that low and have since gotten their lives in order and are happy and productive.
There are thousands who have looked over that edge and reached out (how uncool, right??!!) at the last minute to someone who managed to pull them back. If you didn't know that chapter of their lives, you would never guess in a million years. They're not going to advertise it later, when there are such insensitive asses around.
Most people who make incomplete suicide attempts are truly torn—they want the pain to end and don't see any other way. They are looking for help. People in despair, who nonetheless have a vestige of hope that leads them to call someone, should be embraced and cherished, not reviled.
As for your profoundly twisted view, geek (Need a refresher?: “Anyone who does do all that other nonsense and lives “to tell the tale and help others” makes a grotesque mockery of this man's pain and deserves every minute of co-dependant (sic) BS they bring on themselves.Shame on everyone (sic) of them. If you truly want to die,follow this person's lead and just go and do it.Spare me all the tearfilled crisis calls until you are serious about pulling up your boot straps and getting a life.”), let me just say that living takes a helluva lot more courage than dying. Your elevation of people who “just do it” to some kind of tragic nobility is sick, twisted, and inaccurate. (In short, geek—you're full of sh**.)
Those who “just do it” are not morally superior to those who cry out for help—they are profoundly lost souls who have no more hope or courage left. Those who cry out still have a spark of “try” left in them—they're not making a “mockery” of anyone's pain—they are hurting so badly, they cannot focus on anything but their own pain. They deserve love, respect, and another chance. It's very courageous to keep going when you feel nothing but misery and hardly know where to turn.
If the poor soul who is the subject of this article had only connected with someone instead of committing that irreversible act (if INDEED it turns out that it was suicide—which we don't yet know), he or she would surely have come to appreciate that second chance and would have been glad to live out the precious life he or she should have had.
It is YOU, geekinfool, who are making a mockery of his or her pain if you are suggesting that he/she would've deserved your ugly sentiments and disdain if he/she had just had enough spark of hope left—just enough lucidity through the pain–to reach out to someone who might have been able to avert that tragic end.
20 June 2007
at 11:48 p.m.
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bearded_gnome (Anonymous) says…
amazing thread! wow. slinging blame, throwing mud at the tennants of that house! shame.
if, as it seems, this was suicide, then lets exercise some better nature in our character. if it was as seems more remote, murder/fowl play, lets be a bit more reflective. there is so much we just don't know, and maybe won't ever know. sometimes in a case like this the dead person is never identified, which heightens the sad effect of such an event. one lonely person dies, unknown, alone, and later unidentified in a squalid place. wow.
I've written on the need for our community to address the epidemic of suicide. we spend %2 for art and throw a lot of money at art, some of which most people can't really get into their heads. yet, if that massive amount of money were instead put into a good and functioning mental health unit at LMH, and a proper suicide intervention system, lives would be saved. perhaps, some lives of artists. my own cousin died a suicide last year, and it wasn't in the newspaper; most suicides don't make the paper. I am not engaging in hyperbole to call it an epidemic of suicide.
finally, topekan, shut the he|| up. the trouble is that you can't tell the serious attempters from the gesturers to gain attention. when you know the difference, some one is dead or seriously hurt. your attitude makes it harder for people who need help to come forward.
21 June 2007
at midnight
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jayhawk1982 (Anonymous) says…
Hawk,
You can't press me for facts if you're going to baselessly accuse people of murder whilst behind a mask of anonymity.
Get a life old man.
21 June 2007
at 12:29 a.m.
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Marion (Marion Lynn) says…
Well, frankly, I am quite concerned that the deceased may be a missing acquaintance.
In the article there are two clues to the identity which hit home; one overt and one much less obvious so I am REALLY worried about this person and sincerely hope that I am full of biosolids and merely being paranoid,
21 June 2007
at 1 a.m.
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coneflower (Anonymous) says…
This is so very sad.
People who haven't been there - gruelingly, acutely suicidal - should not comment or judge others.
21 June 2007
at 5:31 a.m.
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honestone (Anonymous) says…
It is too bad someone died there. I believe that is the Delta Force party house. I have partied there and it is trashed. Inside and out. Not anymore trashed then the rest of the block. It IS the student getto. What do you expect?
21 June 2007
at 12:42 p.m.
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buffalohome (Anonymous) says…
I disagree with you honestone, I walk down that street everyday to come home from class and the rest of the houses are nice and well kept, some even look like they wouldn't be rented by college students. When I heard that house was the Delta Force house it made me think, if thats thier place and its that destroyed, then how could they keep the student government in order? To bad this happended to them, but its really random if the individual didn't pick that shed for a reason.
21 June 2007
at 1:24 p.m.
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Indigosky (Anonymous) says…
It is absolutely unreasonable to suggest that the state of that house represents Delta Force as an organization. The tenants do not own that house they are renters. Architecturally that house is lovely, its really just a shame the owner did not choose to honor it with some general upkeep, suggesting that the students who live there have that responsibility is just absurd. Hamil is just holding out for the right time at which time he will sell it for a fortune and then the bulldozers will come in. It will be replaced with a horrible apartment building or some other money making structure Perhaps that represents what you consider a more attractive way to represent a student government Buffalo, but it seems to me that the world has plenty of cookie cutter folks speaking on behalf of the masses and not enough real live representatives of whats going on in the trenches. AS for your questioning the randomness of the location of the individuals choice to end his/her life, it s been said before, I'll say it again, Shame on you for your desire to make this something it is not for your own amusement.
21 June 2007
at 1:48 p.m.
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me123 (Anonymous) says…
First thing,
please do not use the actual address of the house. It is just rude and inconsiderate! That kind of information is private and should not be broadcasted. People do live there.
And second,
Please refrain from using people's real names.
Thank you
21 June 2007
at 1:50 p.m.
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buffalohome (Anonymous) says…
I don't believe the house would look in such distress if rubbish wasn't spread about. I know they only rent, but that does not mean that they cant take some pride of where they live and take care of it. Is Hamil suppose to come by and pick up trash and sweep. We are in college now, no more moms to clean up after us. I don't believe in cookie cutter homes, I would like to see people take care of places and not make eyesores that people then want to tear down. If we want to keep these beautiful unique homes in the student ghetto, we shouldn't trash them.
21 June 2007
at 2:05 p.m.
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jayhawk1982 (Anonymous) says…
Hey folks, reality check.
Someone in our community had the tragic misfortune of finding a suicide victim, the least you could do is show them some humanity is this traumatic time.
Some of the commenters in this thread should be ashamed by their opportunistic behavior.
The real issue here has nothing to do with who lives in the house. The randomness of this event should remind us that this can happen to anyone. The real issue is indifference towards homelessness and a inadequate mental-health services.
Addressing those issues are how we can keep this tragedy from revisiting our community in the future.
21 June 2007
at 2:17 p.m.
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that_one_dude (Anonymous) says…
Buffalohome, the residents DO try to take care of the building as best as college students with only so much money are able.
21 June 2007
at 2:24 p.m.
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buffalohome (Anonymous) says…
If money is so short how do they afford the “beer” trash and last I checked, bending over and picking up was free.
21 June 2007
at 2:35 p.m.
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hawkperchedatriverfront (Anonymous) says…
buffalohome, free is work. apparently the tenants would rather blame someone else for their trashy lifestyle , regardless of what Hamil is supposed to do, the tenants have responsibility and furthermore no one has ever suggested on here that the tenants did anyone in. read the facts , just the facts and another budwhysir if you please.
the address is public information, the owner's name was disclosed, pretty simple, go to the courthouse, when a property looks like vagrants live in it, then it will attract vagrants, when a property has a party and three police cars come to clear the place, it is very likely that the designated tenants don't even know who is on the property and futhermore would not know if someone came back to the place,
so go chew on this for a while and have some fun
The deceased is someone's family member and some people are going to be quite saddened but the residents of the house have now drawn attention to the squalor they have chosen to live
in and will get little sympathy
any by the way, some one quoted something about the prices of houses for sale, how much are those places, I might be interested. Maybe hamill would sell also or already has?
21 June 2007
at 3:12 p.m.
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jayhawk1982 (Anonymous) says…
Where can the disturbed find counseling services in Lawrence?Is their a suicide hot line?
Can someone who knows put this out there? I may need both if Buffalo and Hawk don't stop their petty, self-serving, and cold-hearted campaigns against the traumatized folks of upper Louisiana St..
21 June 2007
at 3:33 p.m.
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Crispian (Crispian Paul) says…