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| Blair Smith 1/2017; body found in river off Grosse Ile | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: May 1 2017, 09:59 PM (21 Views) | |
| Begood | May 1 2017, 09:59 PM Post #1 |
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Investigators identify body found in river off Grosse Ile; man was apparent suicide victim By Jim Kasuba jimk@thenewsherald.com @JKasuba on Twitter May 1, 2017 Updated 4 hrs ago Comments GI Police Car A body found April 25 in the Detroit River has been identified as a missing Detroit man. The body was discovered by a fisherman, at the tip of Grosse Ile. The remains were in such a condition as to indicate it had been in the water for quite some time. Within a few days of finding the body, Police Chief Joseph Porcarelli said it was determined that the victim drowned, but investigators still didn’t know who he was. In following up with Detroit police over the weekend, a positive identification was made through dental records. The victim’s family has been notified. Porcarelli said the victim was Blair Smith, 19, of Detroit. The police chief said he was seen on video, back in January, jumping into the water near Hart Plaza. “Text message(s) were found on his phone right before he jumped in which would definitely lead one to believe this was a suicide,” Porcarelli said. The Wayne County Medical Examiner’s Office determined the cause of death to be drowning. Smith’s sister, Toni, who asked to be referred to only by her first name, said there wasn’t any conclusive proof the video showed it was her brother who jumped into the water. She said the figure seen in the video was shadowy and that it wasn’t even clear if the person was a man or woman, African-American or white. As for the text messages, she said Detroit police never notified the family that her brother’s text messages indicated he planned to kill himself. According to the victim’s sister, about a month ago a man fishing near Wyandotte found his wallet. She believes the man was from Melvindale, since he turned in the wallet to the Melvindale Police Department. Asked if she disputed the police statement that her brother’s death was a suicide, she doesn’t believe it’s conclusive. “I can’t say if it was or wasn’t suicide,” she said. “I don’t believe there was foul play. I will say it was accidental.” She said her brother grew up in Detroit’s North Rosedale Park neighborhood, but preferred not to divulge personal information about him or those who survive him, other than to say he came from a very large, loving family. “My parents are in a great deal of pain,” she said. http://www.thenewsherald.com/news/investig...24848358aa.html |
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3:16 AM Jul 11