DEATH OF MAN IN ST. MARKS WAS HYPOTHERMIA
BODY OF HOMELESS MAN WAS FOUND IN WOODS OFF RIVERSIDE DRIVE ON CHRISTMAS WHEN TEMPERATURE WAS IN THE TEENS
By WILLIAM SNOWDEN Editor
The body of a man found in St. Marks on Christmas was Bradley Wright, 65, who froze to death in his makeshift camp off Riverside Drive, according to a report from the Wakulla County Sheriff’s Office.
The Sun reported in the Jan. 5 issue that a body had been found, but because the matter was still under investigation by the sheriff’s office, no details were released. (All unattended deaths are investigated thoroughly to determine if foul play was involved.) The medical examiner recently released results of the autopsy and determined that the cause of death was hypothermia, with contributing cause of carcinoma on the vocal cord and coronary disease.
A St. Marks resident found the body on Sunday, Dec. 25: he was going to the campsite to bring food and wish Wright a merry Christmas. Deputies responding to the scene found a makeshift campsite with no heat source or cover. The deceased was wrapped in a tarp in an apparent attempt to stay warm. It was noted the temperature was 19 degrees at the time the body was found.
According to the report, a wallet with ID was found near the body along with a cellphone. There were discarded liquor, beer and soda containers. The man’s clothing, as well as pillow and blanket were described as damp.
Wright’s sister told detectives that he had been living in a house in Woodville but was kicked out. She knew her brother suffered from cancer and was a heavy drinker. She hadn’t seen her brother since September.