Raevengeance
04-18-04, 09:48 AM
OK - Since 1997 there have been 5 'accidental' drownings in my hometown. The police department say they are all just coincidence with the only link being extreme intoxication and close proximity to the Mississippi River.
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Charles Blatz, 28, of Kiel, Wis., whose body was recovered on Oct. 3, 1997, after a fisherman reported seeing a body floating face down in the main channel of the river not far from the Seventh Street landing. Blatz, a student at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, had been missing for a week after coming to La Crosse for Oktoberfest weekend. His blood-alcohol content was 0.31 percent, three times the legal limit. He suffered trauma after his drowned body was struck by a barge. The death was ruled accidental.
Anthony D. ``Tony'' Skifton, 19, of 820 Caledonia St., who was last seen by friends about bar time on Oct. 5, 1997, as he left a party. His body was found five days later in Isle La Plume Slough, which runs along the east side of Houska Park south of the C[arse] Street Bridge. A medical examiner's report said no foul play was involved but ``acute alcohol intoxication'' was a contributing factor in the death. Skifton had a blood-alcohol content of 0.23, more than twice the legal limit. The death was ruled accidental because a medical examiner's report said Skifton probably fell off the dock.
Nathan Kapfer, 20, a Viterbo College sophomore from Glendive, Mont., whose body was pulled from the Mississippi River on April 4, 1998, six weeks after he was reported missing. He was last seen walking alone. Earlier, he had been cited for four under age drinking citations. No foul play was involved and his blood-alcohol content was 0.22 percent, said a medical examiner's report. The death was ruled undetermined. His wallet, under age drinking citations and base ball hat were neatly piled up near the Indian statue in River side Park.
Jeffrey F. Geesey, 20, a UW-L student, who disappeared April 11, 1999. His body was found May 22 in the branch of the Mississippi River in the town of Shelby. He was last seen at Club Millennium in downtown La Crosse in the early morning hours of April 11 talking to two girls. Police said Geesey was drinking with two friends who were so intoxicated that they could not remember what bars they had frequented. Police said there was no indication of trauma or foul play. The death certificate, signed by the medical examiner, listed the cause of death as undetermined. Toxicology reports are expected to be completed next week. The case remains open.
(and the most recent case)
"There is no evidence of foul play. No evidence of any kind of altercation. No sign of a fight that took place. We found no evidence that Jared was being stalked. We found no one who had resentment toward him, was angry with him or anything like that," Kondracki said. "There was just no evidence he had any kind of altercation or contact with anyone after he was last seen."
Investigators concluded Thursday that a highly intoxicated Dion likely died when he accidentally fell into the river after he was separated from friends while trying to catch a bus after leaving a downtown bar around 2:30 a.m. Saturday, Kondracki said.
Dion was last seen leaving John's Bar. Instead of following his friends to the east, Dion entered Riverside Park where he eventually fell into the river.
Dion, who police Capt. Mitch Brohmer said was an average swimmer, likely tried to swim back to shore, but was probably pulled into the deep, cold water by the strong current, Kondracki said.
"The river is 18-feet deep right off the shore, and the current is very fast. Even a well-conditioned swimmer under the most ideal conditions would find it difficult to make it to shore in that water," Kondracki said.
Why Dion walked to the park will never be known, Kondracki said.
"It's hard for most anyone to know what it's like to function with a blood alcohol rate of any significance," Kondracki said.
Some in the community maintain that someone is to blame for the seven river deaths, but Kondracki said alcohol played a role in every one of the deaths.
"The common denominators in these past cases are excessive intoxication coupled with individuals venturing out onto or falling into the Mississippi, where the water is extremely deep and the current very fast," Kondracki said. "I am absolutely convinced that no crimes have been committed and these cases are extremely unfortunate mishaps."
Dion's body was found by the La Crosse Dive and Rescue Team and La Crosse Fire Department about 7:50 a.m. Thursday.
His body was found about 30 feet off shore and likely had not drifted far from where Dion fell in five days earlier, Brohmer said.
The 21-year-old UW-L marketing student and wrestler was last seen at 2:30 a.m. Saturday, when some friends got on the Safe Ride bus to go back to campus, but Dion stayed behind.
He had made plans with his mother, who lives in Merton, Wis., to celebrate Easter in La Crosse, but failed to contact her or his girlfriend as expected Saturday.
Dion's four roommates - one is his younger brother, Adam - confirmed he never came home after he and a group of friends went downtown about 11:30 p.m. Friday.
Family, friends and UW-L students had posted flyers and made buttons throughout the week, hoping someone had seen Dion. Searchers, including specially trained dogs, began concentrating on the Riverside Park area after a man had reported Wednesday finding Dion's Boston Red Sox cap in the park.
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all information courtesy of the La Crosse Tribune in the past week.
Other information not mentioned:
Tony Skifton was absolutely TERRIFIED of water - LCPD says he fell in while trying to urinate into the river - his family all insist he wouldn't go to the river to do that - if he had to go that bady, he'd just do it somewhere else - because he wouldn't go anywhere NEAR the river.
Just curious what you all would think based on the basic facts.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Charles Blatz, 28, of Kiel, Wis., whose body was recovered on Oct. 3, 1997, after a fisherman reported seeing a body floating face down in the main channel of the river not far from the Seventh Street landing. Blatz, a student at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, had been missing for a week after coming to La Crosse for Oktoberfest weekend. His blood-alcohol content was 0.31 percent, three times the legal limit. He suffered trauma after his drowned body was struck by a barge. The death was ruled accidental.
Anthony D. ``Tony'' Skifton, 19, of 820 Caledonia St., who was last seen by friends about bar time on Oct. 5, 1997, as he left a party. His body was found five days later in Isle La Plume Slough, which runs along the east side of Houska Park south of the C[arse] Street Bridge. A medical examiner's report said no foul play was involved but ``acute alcohol intoxication'' was a contributing factor in the death. Skifton had a blood-alcohol content of 0.23, more than twice the legal limit. The death was ruled accidental because a medical examiner's report said Skifton probably fell off the dock.
Nathan Kapfer, 20, a Viterbo College sophomore from Glendive, Mont., whose body was pulled from the Mississippi River on April 4, 1998, six weeks after he was reported missing. He was last seen walking alone. Earlier, he had been cited for four under age drinking citations. No foul play was involved and his blood-alcohol content was 0.22 percent, said a medical examiner's report. The death was ruled undetermined. His wallet, under age drinking citations and base ball hat were neatly piled up near the Indian statue in River side Park.
Jeffrey F. Geesey, 20, a UW-L student, who disappeared April 11, 1999. His body was found May 22 in the branch of the Mississippi River in the town of Shelby. He was last seen at Club Millennium in downtown La Crosse in the early morning hours of April 11 talking to two girls. Police said Geesey was drinking with two friends who were so intoxicated that they could not remember what bars they had frequented. Police said there was no indication of trauma or foul play. The death certificate, signed by the medical examiner, listed the cause of death as undetermined. Toxicology reports are expected to be completed next week. The case remains open.
(and the most recent case)
"There is no evidence of foul play. No evidence of any kind of altercation. No sign of a fight that took place. We found no evidence that Jared was being stalked. We found no one who had resentment toward him, was angry with him or anything like that," Kondracki said. "There was just no evidence he had any kind of altercation or contact with anyone after he was last seen."
Investigators concluded Thursday that a highly intoxicated Dion likely died when he accidentally fell into the river after he was separated from friends while trying to catch a bus after leaving a downtown bar around 2:30 a.m. Saturday, Kondracki said.
Dion was last seen leaving John's Bar. Instead of following his friends to the east, Dion entered Riverside Park where he eventually fell into the river.
Dion, who police Capt. Mitch Brohmer said was an average swimmer, likely tried to swim back to shore, but was probably pulled into the deep, cold water by the strong current, Kondracki said.
"The river is 18-feet deep right off the shore, and the current is very fast. Even a well-conditioned swimmer under the most ideal conditions would find it difficult to make it to shore in that water," Kondracki said.
Why Dion walked to the park will never be known, Kondracki said.
"It's hard for most anyone to know what it's like to function with a blood alcohol rate of any significance," Kondracki said.
Some in the community maintain that someone is to blame for the seven river deaths, but Kondracki said alcohol played a role in every one of the deaths.
"The common denominators in these past cases are excessive intoxication coupled with individuals venturing out onto or falling into the Mississippi, where the water is extremely deep and the current very fast," Kondracki said. "I am absolutely convinced that no crimes have been committed and these cases are extremely unfortunate mishaps."
Dion's body was found by the La Crosse Dive and Rescue Team and La Crosse Fire Department about 7:50 a.m. Thursday.
His body was found about 30 feet off shore and likely had not drifted far from where Dion fell in five days earlier, Brohmer said.
The 21-year-old UW-L marketing student and wrestler was last seen at 2:30 a.m. Saturday, when some friends got on the Safe Ride bus to go back to campus, but Dion stayed behind.
He had made plans with his mother, who lives in Merton, Wis., to celebrate Easter in La Crosse, but failed to contact her or his girlfriend as expected Saturday.
Dion's four roommates - one is his younger brother, Adam - confirmed he never came home after he and a group of friends went downtown about 11:30 p.m. Friday.
Family, friends and UW-L students had posted flyers and made buttons throughout the week, hoping someone had seen Dion. Searchers, including specially trained dogs, began concentrating on the Riverside Park area after a man had reported Wednesday finding Dion's Boston Red Sox cap in the park.
~~~~~~~~~~~
all information courtesy of the La Crosse Tribune in the past week.
Other information not mentioned:
Tony Skifton was absolutely TERRIFIED of water - LCPD says he fell in while trying to urinate into the river - his family all insist he wouldn't go to the river to do that - if he had to go that bady, he'd just do it somewhere else - because he wouldn't go anywhere NEAR the river.
Just curious what you all would think based on the basic facts.