Homeless man found dead in downtown Durango

It may take weeks to determine cause of death, authorities say

The Durango Police Department responded to a report of a homeless man found dead Thursday morning behind a building adjacent to

Cmdr. Ray Shupe said officers were dispatched around 9:30 a.m. to a report of a deceased man.

Officers found the man, age 61, with no obvious signs of trauma. Authorities are not releasing his name until next of kin are notified.

Shupe said the man was homeless, but had been living in the Durango area for some time. It wasn’t immediately known how long he had been camping at that spot, a well-vegetated area between Main Avenue and the railroad tracks.

“We’ve had numerous contacts with him,” Shupe said. “It was apparent he was camping behind the business there.”

Because there were no obvious signs of trauma, it’s going to take an autopsy and/or toxicology to determine a cause of death, Shupe said. That may take a week or longer, he said.

Anyone with information about the death is asked to call detective Josh Newman at 375-4733.

jromeo@durangoherald.com



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