The body discovered Thursday morning underneath an I-71 overpass on State Route 435 in Fayette County has been taken to the Montgomery County Coroner’s Office for an autopsy.
The body has been identified as 55-year-old Timothy R. Dunn. At around 10:30 a.m., the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office received a call from someone who was walking in the area that a body was found on the other side of a barricade underneath the overpass.
“Right now, this is being looked at as a death by natural causes,” said Stanforth. The Ohio Attorney General’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation was called to the scene Thursday to assist in the investigation.
“The scene was secured, processed and all possible evidence was collected,” said Stanforth. “If it does evolve into something more than a natural death, we’ve done the necessary preliminary investigation. But right now, there is no indication of foul play.”
Stanforth estimated that the body had been there for over a week due to “significant decomposition.” The body was found resting against the barricade. “It appeared that he had maybe been trying to get out of the heat and that he was resting,” said Stanforth. “He was partially covered by a sleeping bag and he had a backpack with him.”
According to several employees of the Tanger Outlet Mall and other businesses located at the U.S. 35-I-71 interchange, the deceased man was well-known in the area. “The deputies came in and talked to several of the employees,” said Ira Graham, acting manager/cook at the Waffle House on Allen Road. “He was a regular in the Waffle House and was taken care of by several of the employees. Some would buy him food from time to time.”
Stanforth said that employees in the area were able to provide information, including that most knew the man by his first name only. As part of his transient lifestyle, Dunn reportedly set up a campsite in the area of the U.S. 35-71 interchange.
The official cause of death will be released following the autopsy.
