Posted on 01/12/2007 9:26:23 PM PST by csvset
SOUTH BEND — Two bodies were found Friday in a manhole not far from where two other men were discovered dead earlier this week.
Police found the bodies of two men in the hole above a railroad viaduct east of the 600 block of South Scott Street — near Coveleski Stadium — about noon while investigating Tuesday’s homicides.
The most recent deaths also appear to be homicides, South Bend police Capt. Phil Trent said. Autopsies will determine for certain the cause of death and who they are.
The deaths appear to be connected in what could be a quadruple homicide, authorities said. All the men had a similar manner of death. The deaths of the men Tuesday were determined to be from severe head trauma.
At least three of the men were believed to be scrappers, those who forge for scrap metal to sell, Trent said.
“These guys have strong ties to scrapping,” he said. “We have more of a reason to believe this is related to scrapping metal than to believe it was done by a serial killer.”
Police did not confirm whether one of the men found Friday was Brian Talboom, 51, a homeless man who was reported missing Wednesday and was last seen with the two men found Tuesday.
Michael S. Nolan Jr., 40, and Michael Lawson, 56, also homeless, were found Tuesday in the nearby manhole. Nolan, Lawson and Talboom were friends, said friends of the three men earlier in the week.
The three men were reportedly frequent mealtime visitors to Hope Rescue Mission on South Michigan Street.
“People are waiting to see who (the dead men) are,” said David Vanderveen, executive director of the mission. “We’re hoping it’s not Brian.”
No suspects were in custody as of Friday night, but authorities say “several people have been talked to.”
Crime scene
About 20 emergency responders — police, investigators, firefighters and railroad police — gathered in the muddy, grassy area south of the tracks, just to the east of the railroad viaduct at Scott Street.
The area is not visible from the ground level below the viaduct and is 10 to 15 feet up a bushy embankment directly north of an abandoned two-story brick warehouse in the 600 block of South Scott Street.
The building is a known squatting spot for homeless men and scrappers, especially in the winter.
The Metro Homicide Unit police van backed up to a loading bay at the former warehouse building directly south of the area where the bodies were pulled from the manholes.
Investigators are treating the inside of the building as a crime scene and are searching for evidence related to the deaths, Trent said.
Trent would not comment on whether investigators believe the men were killed inside the building before being dragged outside to the nearby manholes, or whether they were killed elsewhere.
About 2:45 p.m. Friday, a firefighter was lowered into the manhole with the help of a device connected to a hook-and-ladder fire truck parked west of the manhole, police said. That firefighter then hauled the bodies out of the manhole with the aid of the wires and hook equipment.
Authorities then placed the victims in body bags behind a shield of large, red sheets.
The manhole is about 32 inches wide, and the holes are about 8 to 10 feet deep, police said. Below the shaft is a “concrete room” that holds cables that are 8 feet wide, 8 feet deep and 8 feet long, Trent said.
The men were found inside the concrete area. The shafts are not part of an elaborate sewer system, but rather an isolated area owned by the Norfolk Southern Railroad company and leased to companies to lay fiber optic cables, Trent said.
The two manholes where the bodies were found have electrical cables that run through them, Trent said.
No more missing people
Police say they have no reason to believe there are more bodies lying in manholes across the city.
“We have no more outstanding missing people known to law enforcement,” Trent said. “But we’ll continue searching the area.”
Police found Friday’s bodies during a systematic search of the area. After the discovery, police expanded the search to other manholes and other locations frequented by scrappers.
Cadaver dogs were brought into the area to assist police in the search for evidence and victims.
Friday’s discovery raised the total homicide count this week to five, after 75-year-old James Lydeen was discovered dead in his Dubail Street home Thursday. Authorities have not released a cause of death in his case but believe foul play was involved.
South Bend Mayor Stephen Luecke issued a statement Friday night about the recent rash of deaths.
“Our hearts and prayers are with the families and friends of these victims,” the statement read. “As a community we cannot accept this terrible violence. It is highly unusual to have such a string of fatalities in our community and we are determined to find the perpetrator.”
Another story said that the manholes provide access to tunnels beneath a closed Studebaker Corp. auto plant complex.
Scrap Wars ? RIP for the scrappers.
ping
Oh wow...Pinging the usual suspects.
Fwiw, creeping around an old factory sounds downright spooky. No telling what or who you might run in to.
Whatever happened to reporters (and editors) who could spell?
I'm guessing that the editors don't read it.
They were forging ahead, foraging for forged metal. At Valley Forge, perhaps. Might have even had to ford a fjord.
Hahahah, LL.
The area they're describing is part of the old Studebaker complex. It dates back to the mid 1800s. It's doubtful if anyone knows what's below ground.
Hell, I thought most of that was torn down, and I've got a Company in South Bend! Guess I never go downtown much. ............ FRegards
Eh, eh. Spellchecker says it is a gud wurd. Perhaps the scrappers were foraging at a forging plant.
yitbos
ping to link in #6
that should be #4
Forget it.
Is this a democrat city or a republican city?
>>>“We have more of a reason to believe this is related to scrapping metal than to believe it was done by a serial killer.”
In scrap metal wars you call for the coppers.
The big brass is on the case.
Well then, who cares. Mr. Varner must feel very lonely at times.
Not as bad as Gary, but then nothing really could be as bad as Gary.
L
The scrap metal trade often leads to scrap metal theft, but a new South Bend ordinance has helped cut back on those crimes in recent months.
However, officials say there was still a record number of those thefts last year.
The ordinance, which went into effect in mid 2006, requires scrap yard employees to ask for identification and a thumb print.
The employees must also record the sellers on camera.
High aluminum and copper prices have fueled the thefts, therefore, thieves strip homes of siding, gutters, wires and pipes to cash in at scrap yards that recycle the metals.
Copper can be sold at scrap yards for up to three dollars a pound, while aluminum can go for up to 70 cents a pound.
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