Found Deceased OH - Harley Dilly, 14, walking to Port Clinton High School, 20 Dec 2019 #4

[Cagle]

Well...that's a long ways away to slip into that chimney from that antenna. He'd have had to fly over there.

 

[princessmonokuma]

Also for anyone wanting to see the press conference it is here:

 

[AnotherSetOfEyes]

Took the chief 3 weeks to notice lockbox. He had someone walk a dog around house nobody noticed. Everybody was just waiting for LE to get done before they searched themselves. Guess the search ended last night. I hope the city takes the reward money as a start to begin putting up security / traffic cameras.

Or possibly invest in a search for a new police chief? I am usually very pro police. Not so much in this case.

 

[weepingangel]

dbm

 

[vela341]

Getting trapped in chimneys not uncommon. Just a few months ago a young lady in California I think it was tried to climb in because of breaking curfew. She was stuck but yelled and her family heard her. She was rescued.

When people try to climb down chimneys in unoccupied places, such as cabins, they are found deceased, sometimes years later. People don't understanding about chimneys with flues. Horrible way to go. IMO

While nothing can be done for Harley now, as sleuthers I think there is a lot to remember and take away from this case. The idea of proximity to last location in non-abduction cases, the idea of pushing more thorough searches of nearby structures (MANY here felt vacant places should have been searched), and IMO immediate use of drones with infared sensors.

It just seems to me that LE should have used dogs to track him from his house. Wouldn't it seem that dogs would have picked up his scent and tracked him straight to the vacant house?

 

[margarita25]

Warning / Graphic and Disturbing

rsbm
It would've taken a while for him to die. Most likely two weeks or more.
He basically starved to death.

This is what they think happened to Josh Maddux. He has a thread here.

In Josh’s case:

“Al Born, the county coroner, ruled his death accidental by unknown cause. He believes the teen-ager climbed into the chimney and became stuck, perishing from either exposure or a lack of water and food.

“His feet were down,” Born said. “He was in a fetal position.”

Josh was clad only in a ribbed thermal-type shirt; the rest of his clothes were found within the cabin outside the fireplace, near the hearth.

“The hard tissue showed no signs of any trauma,” Born said. “There were no broken bones There were no knife marks. There were no bullet holes.”

Chimney discovery ends mystery over young man’s disappearance, but questions remain – The Denver Post

—
Josh’s thread:

Found Deceased - CO - Joshua Maddux, 18, Woodland Park, 8 May 2008

 

[princessmonokuma]

Where is this from?

My bad it did not paste

This is in many many articles but here is one
Surveillance shows last known image of missing Ohio 14-year-old Harley Dilly: Police

 

[Spellbound]

"Police say that Dilly was climbing up an antenna, slipped off and into a chimney and was stuck."​

Wow, what are the chances of that? I need to see an aerial view.

they really said this? looking at the pictures, that antenna is a long way from the chimney. This sounds so illogical and improbable to me. What are the chances a live body would fall from that antenna and perfectly slide down the chimney ? I’m not buying that.

 

[dyannaON]

Haven’t read any of today’s posts. Much to catch up on. But I’m so sad. As we all are. I’m sorry Harley. You must’ve been so scared. Take care of those babies and kiddos wherever you are.
Fly free baby boy!

 

[MassGuy]

I don’t even know where the word “slipped” came from. Obviously, I believed the implication was that he slipped (slid) into the chimney.

In the press conference, the chief uses the phrase “entered,” which has the same implication.

Harley didn’t fall inside, he entered it intentionally.

ETA: I found the article. It’s a complete mischaracterization of what the chief said. Embarrassing.

 

[holtzmann]

they really said this? looking at the pictures, that antenna is a long way from the chimney. This sounds so illogical and improbable to me. What are the chances a live body would fall from that antenna and perfectly slide down the chimney ? I’m not buying that.

This is an inaccurate summary of what police actually said. They believe he climbed the antenna to the roof, then tried to descend the chimney and got stuck. They don't know any of it for sure and admit so.

 

[lindaromas]

Even if the police would have checked inside that home back from the day he was reported missing Harley may have already been dead then. Didn't his mom wait like 2 or 3 days to even report him missing?

What made LE decide to go into the house? I've been down with pneumonia and not following much. Such a sad story. RIP Harley.

 

[bellyup]

May be best to make sure your 14 year old not only carries a phone, but also wears a bluetooth headset. And always has a buddy. Just in case.

He always has a phone. And often GPS.
He’s gotten stuck more than once. Once at the top of a rusty old roller coaster hanging by his pants. I’m not kidding when I say extreme risk taker.

The thing he keeps saying over and over is that there’s no reason to go in a chimney with a vacant house. It wouldn’t be worth the risk vs 1000 other ways one could get in.

Not to say Harley thought the same but cognitively he’s very aware of how dangerous it would be to enter the chimney (though he’d still do it with a friend).

 

[Spellbound]

I don’t even know where the word “slipped” came from. Obviously, I believed the implication was that he slipped (slid) into the chimney.

In the press conference, the chief uses the phrase “entered,” which has the same implication.

Harley didn’t fall inside, he entered it intentionally.

This is an inaccurate summary of what police actually said. They believe he climbed the antenna to the roof, then tried to descend the chimney and got stuck. They don't know any of it for sure and admit so.

thank you both. This makes more sense, and I do believe you are both right.

 

[MassGuy]

What made LE decide to go into the house? I've been down with pneumonia and not following much. Such a sad story. RIP Harley.

It sounds like law enforcement decided to go back to square one. Because the chief talked about all the windows and doors being secured, I think the implication was that law enforcement had previously searched the outside of the house.

It sounds like they decided to actually go inside for the first time yesterday. The house had a lockbox, which meant that multiple people could have had access. I think this was the reason they finally decided to go in and check it out.

 

[Periwinkl3]

Police checked the abandoned home multiple times, but since there was no sign of forced entry and the doors seemed secure there was never a reason for them to check-in.

So ridiculous. Suppose HD had gotten in thru an UNLOCKED door or window, and locked it once he was in. Really bad investigative thinking on someone's part.

 

[margarita25]

Poor little guy. This is just so awful and sad.

 

[Linda7NJ]

Another thought.

They saw the lockbox and thought “we should check that house....let’s get permission from the owner”...

... but shut down four streets and had BCI, a dozen cops and ambulances there for a routine check bc they saw a lock box?

Taking photos for 9 hours? Blocking all the windows? Nope. Nope. Nope.

I think the perimeter came as soon as they knew was there. Coat, glasses...odor...

 

[margarita25]

What made LE decide to go into the house? I've been down with pneumonia and not following much. Such a sad story. RIP Harley.

(O/T, You’re like the 5th person I know that has pneumonia right now. Wth. Take care of yourself and get better soon.)

 

[Linda7NJ]

Another thought.

They saw the lockbox and thought “we should check that house....let’s get permission from the owner”...

... but shut down four streets and had BCI, a dozen cops and ambulances there for a routine check bc they saw a lock box?

Taking photos for 9 hours? Blocking all the windows? Nope. Nope. Nope.

I think the perimeter came as soon as they knew was there. Coat, glasses...odor...

Oh my word. I have a 14 year old son. It looks like basically a ladder right to the roof. Yes the space is small but I can see this happening. They are so wiry and flexible. And what a challenge it would be which is exciting and thrilling. I feel the need to have a conversation about the dangers of chimneys with him now.

that’s smart. Most important thing I learned being a parent, never to say, “MY KID WOULD NEVER” ....