Local police say the man who was found dead inside a manhole earlier this month appears to be an accidental death.
At about 11:30 a.m. Jan. 2, officers with the Greenville Police Department went to the 800 block of Washington Avenue after receiving a call from a concerned local resident. There, police found a man, who has been identified as 60-year-old Roy Cage, inside the manhole, which was full of water, except for his foot, which was beneath the manhole cover.
Cage was pronounced dead on scene by the Washington County Coroner and his body was sent to the Mississippi Crime Lab for an autopsy.
Assistant Police Chief Michael Merchant said the preliminary investigation reveals the following:
* The subject was seen alone leaving a local night club prior to the incident.
* Cameras in the area show that the subject was alone at the time of the incident;
* The subject did not have any signs of trauma or injuries; and
* The autopsy revealed heart problems, which are consistent to a heart attack.
“Based on the information, this appears to be an accidental death,” Merchant said.
