Found Deceased OH - Harley Dilly, 14, walking to Port Clinton High School, 20 Dec 2019 #5

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A drawing by noted local artist Matt Ritter honored the memory of Harley Dilly.

Fisherman’s Wharf in downtown Port Clinton is hosting a Harley Dilly memorial luncheon at St. John Lutheran Church on Saturday, Jan. 25 from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. at St. John Lutheran Church, 207 Adams St., Port Clinton. Marc Wolfe and Megan Lenthe have organized HARLEY’S PROJECT 236, named after a $2.36 donation, to create a scholarship fund to ensure the teen will long be remembered.

A reward fund totaling $19,545 will now be returned to donors or, with donor permission, be used for Dilly’s funeral expenses or sent to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children to help its efforts in locating missing kids around the country.
Harley remembered - The Beacon
 
I would like to know if his fingers and/or hands were 'raw', from trying to grasp onto the inner sides of the chimney to try to climb back out.
I have the same question among other questions. I have a strong feeling that the chimney will be removed by the owner due to the damage done and also due to a body being found. Has anyone climbed up onto the roof to get the exact measurement of the inside of the chimney? Has anyone lowered a camera down the chimney to take photos of all four sides of the chimney looking for markings inside the chimney and finger nail marks? Is there a clay flue liner part way down the chimney?
 
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I have the same question among other questions. I have a strong feeling that the chimney will be removed by the owner due to the damage done and also due to a body being found. Has anyone climbed up onto the roof to get the exact measurement of the inside of the chimney? Has anyone lowered a camera down the chimney to take photos of all four sides of the chimney looking for markings inside the chimney and finger nail marks? Is there a clay flue liner part way down the chimney?
Wouldn't one be charged with trespassing if they went up on this person's roof to do measurements, take photos, etc?
 
I have the same question among other questions. I have a strong feeling that the chimney will be removed by the owner due to the damage done and also due to a body being found. Has anyone climbed up onto the roof to get the exact measurement of the inside of the chimney? Has anyone lowered a camera down the chimney to take photos of all four sides of the chimney looking for markings inside the chimney and finger nail marks? Is there a clay flue liner part way down the chimney?

They flew a drone up over it,I'm guessing it had photo capabilities but I'm not sure how far down or how clearly it could take pictures of the inside,would this be effective? MOO
 
A little more info in this report.

Jan 21, 2020

About 15 seconds in or so, there's the broken window in the foundation I was trying to find everywhere. I've been trying to affirm in my own mind whether any such image of it even existed or if it was just rumor. According to the Ottowa County records for the property that's a crawl space vs a full basement.
 
I speculated that LE did not release information such as HD having autism initially because they really did think he was a runaway. Perhaps they thought he would be sensitive to that information about himself being put out there and not want to come home. That's just a wild guess....

They wouldn't need to corroborate it, they would just incorporate it into the investigation. Just like if the missing person had diabetes or any other disease. The police don't really need a doctor's note or anything.

The Fox/8 news video linked above includes an interview with the main investigator on the case. He responded to the question about dad's claim HD had autism and ADHD and made it clear there was no medical verification of this information.
 
@deugirtni said:
I would like to know if his fingers and/or hands were 'raw', from trying to grasp onto the inner sides of the chimney to try to climb back out.

The lead investigator for the case states in Fox/8 news video linked above that they do not know and will probably never know how long HD was alive after entering the chimney. What they do know is that there was no dehydration. I personally don't think HD had much time alive in the chimney.
 
I have the same question among other questions. I have a strong feeling that the chimney will be removed by the owner due to the damage done and also due to a body being found. Has anyone climbed up onto the roof to get the exact measurement of the inside of the chimney? Has anyone lowered a camera down the chimney to take photos of all four sides of the chimney looking for markings inside the chimney and finger nail marks? Is there a clay flue liner part way down the chimney?

The house and chimney are obviously private property that HD trespassed on. While the property owners certainly cooperated with investigators to locate and extract HD from the chimney, I think investigators were respectful to obtain all this information prior to citing there was no foul play and/or criminal investigation. HD needs to be honored and put to rest now, and the rights of the property owner respected. This is not a criminal investigation and no need to hold up the property. I'm not expecting further information from LE for public consumption. MOO
 
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About 15 seconds in or so, there's the broken window in the foundation I was trying to find everywhere. I've been trying to affirm in my own mind whether any such image of it even existed or if it was just rumor. According to the Ottowa County records for the property that's a crawl space vs a full basement.
Wow thankx for clearing this up. It was always on my mind that Harley or others that day could have busted out a basement window and gained access that way. My sister and I did this when it was cold and we were locked out of the house after school, lost the key.

Stupid thing to do when we had friends and neighbors nearby but we were 13 and 14 and did things without thinking it through.

Point is, you found proof the basement window was busted, then you found proof that it was a crawl space and not a basement, thus, no entrance could be gained into the home.
 
So here I have been trying to understand and visualize how HD would have fit in a chimney that was 9"x 13" well after thinking more about it and researching til' my eyes are crossed I have come up with the actual "brick chimney" on the roof was NOT those dimensions, the flue insert itself that trapped HD was the 9" x 13".

So he had plenty of room to go down the chimney itself from the roof, but when he got to *almost* the 2nd floor he couldn't go any further due to a restrictive 9"x 13"flue stopping him. IMO this poor kiddo hoped by pushing his glasses and jacket out the wall plate, someone might rescue him.



Harley Dilly likely died the day he went missing and within hours after getting stuck in chimney, source says


Snipped from article:

"The "flue" is only 9 inches by 13 inches. He got stuck."

“Over in the chimney Harley’s jacket and glasses were pushed from the chimney through a flue and into a second floor of the home," Hickman said.

This makes the most sense so far!
 
Regarding Harley's electronics/social media, I didn't get the sense at all from the video that it was those things that let police to the house where Harley was found. I think it was just the way the news report was spliced together. The narrator said something about finding Harley at that house. And then they cut to the lead investigator speaking on the case saying that in the beginning of the case they had a lot of Harley's electronics and social media to go through. I think the producers cut to that clip, but it was not at all in context, or related to why or how they looked for Harley in that house.
The mother said a peculiar thing that maybe possibly was one reason for LE to go inside the empty house. (Reason stated was there was a lock box on back door and many people could have keys.)

She said he played this game alot where the game characters find ways to get into different houses and find treasures. She clearly thought this could have influenced him to try to get into the empty house.
 
While I do agree that at a certain point this needs to be put to rest. I just don't think the time is not now and that's possible. There are so many unanswered questions and things that don't makes sense and until it all become clear, I don't think people are going to drop it. Not this time.

Like me, this is my biggest question and what I am most confused about:

The whole glasses and jacket found inside the 2nd floor is what is really throwing me off. It was said he was found "1/3 the way down" (ill inset link here when I find it, I'm looking!). To me that means he made it 1/3 the way down to the second floor from the roof and not all the way down to the bottom. Now, I can see the glasses making it all the way to the floor IF there was no cover on the flue opening on the second floor. IME the covers I have seen in person are made of a piece of sheet metal cut to the size of the hole and either have a spring on the top you can pop open, or it has a hinge you can push to the side and rotate up, to access inside the flue. It takes some force to get it open. Then we get to the coat making it all the way down. Puffy coats are light, and we know that the flue narrowed down to at least 6-8 inches from what the home owner said. That's not at all big enough, IMO, for the coat to free fall. It would have to be pushed and not fall on its own, it would have gotten stuck. The glasses, if went first and there was no cover I could see making it all the way to the 2nd floor, but if the reports of him getting stuck 1/3 of the way down are correct then I don't understand how at least his coat would have made it all the way to the floor or even to where part was hanging out. In my mind and in the things I have researched I just cannot picture how he could have got close enough to the flue opening to push his coat out, even with on foot.
 
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The Fox/8 news video linked above includes an interview with the main investigator on the case. He responded to the question about dad's claim HD had autism and ADHD and made it clear there was no medical verification of this information.

Thank you. That certainly is more direct. My initial thought is probably way off.
 
The mother said a peculiar thing that maybe possibly was one reason for LE to go inside the empty house. (Reason stated was there was a lock box on back door and many people could have keys.)

She said he played this game alot where the game characters find ways to get into different houses and find treasures. She clearly thought this could have influenced him to try to get into the empty house.

Mom's comment about Fortnite, chimneys, and getting inside homes seeking treasures became a cause for many angry posts!

It was also confirmed earlier that the lockbox on the back door of the residence was empty -- the owner was at the property in November and inadvertently took the key home.

MOO
 
Mom's comment about Fortnite, chimneys, and getting inside homes seeking treasures became a cause for many angry posts!

It was also confirmed earlier that the lockbox on the back door of the residence was empty -- the owner was at the property in November and inadvertently took the key home.

MOO
Thankx. I didn't know any of this. I'm surprised you found out that information about the lock box. I hope the owners know the key is not in it.

Also, I'm going to guess why the mother's Fortnite/chimney/getting in homes comment caused an uproar.

Was it because people felt she should have disclosed this information sooner? Or because she should have suspected that Harley may have tried to get into that house specifically?

Also, I read that security footage actually showed him walking in the direction of that house! Wouldn't that ring alarm bells?
 
While I do agree that at a certain point this needs to be put to rest. I just don't think the time is not now and that's possible. There are so many unanswered questions and things that don't makes sense and until it all become clear, I don't think people are going to drop it. Not this time.

Like me, this is my biggest question and what I am most confused about:

The whole glasses and jacket found inside the 2nd floor is what is really throwing me off. It was said he was found "1/3 the way down" (ill inset link here when I find it, I'm looking!). To me that means he made it 1/3 the way down to the second floor from the roof and not all the way down to the bottom. Now, I can see the glasses making it all the way to the floor IF there was no cover on the flue opening on the second floor. IME the covers I have seen in person are made of a piece of sheet metal cut to the size of the hole and either have a spring on the top you can pop open, or it has a hinge you can push to the side and rotate up, to access inside the flue. It takes some force to get it open. Then we get to the coat making it all the way down. Puffy coats are light, and we know that the flue narrowed down to at least 6-8 inches from what the home owner said. That's not at all big enough, IMO, for the coat to free fall. It would have to be pushed and not fall on its own, it would have gotten stuck. The glasses, if went first and there was no cover I could see making it all the way to the 2nd floor, but if the reports of him getting stuck 1/3 of the way down are correct then I don't understand how at least his coat would have made it all the way to the floor or even to where part was hanging out. In my mind and in the things I have researched I just cannot picture how he could have got close enough to the flue to push his coat out, even with on foot.


There are still some unanswered questions about the day he went missing. @WanderingBee said " If Harley dropped his coat down the chimney first (with his glasses either in a pocket or wrapped/balled up for safe keeping) then jumped in after them wouldn’t the pressure or vacuum he created since the bottom of the chimney was blocked cause his coat and glasses to shoot out of the flue like cannon." Also, maybe they just pulled the coat out. MOO.
 
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I left this thread awhile ago because for me, the case is resolved and there are no questions I feel still need answered. That said, Harley and his parents are still in my thoughts daily. Thoughts & prayers for his family and his community as they grieve this terrible loss. I'll keep dropping pennies for you, sweet boy. <3
 
Thankx. I didn't know any of this. I'm surprised you found out that information about the lock box. I hope the owners know the key is not in it.

Also, I'm going to guess why the mother's Fortnite/chimney/getting in homes comment caused an uproar.

Was it because people felt she should have disclosed this information sooner? Or because she should have suspected that Harley may have tried to get into that house specifically?

Also, I read that security footage actually showed him walking in the direction of that house! Wouldn't that ring alarm bells?

The homeowner knew that he took the key from the lockbox and made arrangements to open property for law enforcement.

Angry comments about mom's comment re. Fortnite was more about her allegedly blaming the video game, and added argument for whether or not Fortnite game actually included a "chimney" as an option.

I'm not aware of which security footage you reference other than the video investigators claimed was HD headed on his school route just before 7 AM.

Given the location of the neighbor's house and HD's own home, I'd think that any surveillance of the short distance could be interpreted as showing Harley headed to both school or the neighbor's property -- (i.e., the half-block on video would be the same route to his school as the house on the corner). MOO
 
The homeowner knew that he took the key from the lockbox and made arrangements to open property for law enforcement.

Angry comments about mom's comment re. Fortnite was more about her allegedly blaming the video game, and added argument for whether or not Fortnite game actually included a "chimney" as an option.

I'm not aware of which security footage you reference other than the video investigators claimed was HD headed on his school route just before 7 AM.

Given the location of the neighbor's house and HD's own home, I'd think that any surveillance of the short distance could be interpreted as showing Harley headed to both school or the neighbor's property -- (i.e., the half-block on video would be the same route to his school as the house on the corner). MOO


Maybe there was additional surveillance or no more surveillance of Harley and they narrowed down the area. MOO.
 
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