Found Deceased CA - Alex Holden, 25, Sacramento, 31 Dec 2019

[Seajay]

"Many" men don't. It's really only a small percentage. Think about the hundreds of thousands of intoxicated men at every sporting event, party, etc. every weekend or holiday. Most of them make it home fine. We just hear about the few that don't.

BBM. It is a small percentage if we had statistics to show how many men 18-30 go for a night on the town, get rip roaring drunk get home and nothing happened to them.

But at the same time, if you compared young men who went out for a night on the town, got drunk, found water somewhere and drowned with all men who died by drunken misadventure, the percentage climbs. I know for me, I can’t tell you how many times we had a young man disappear after drinking and drowned in a body for water. Gosh my head is spinning with the individual stories but I can’t remember the names f all the victims, it was 8 years ago.

That is why many long time sleuthers like myself will ask where the nearest body of water is when we have a case with a young man like Alex, who got drunk and went for a walk and was disappeared. I don’t know why, but that’s the truth. JMO, MOO

 

[carbuff]

Yeah, and when someone goes missing with their car, my first assumption is that they're either in the water or down an embankment, still in their car.

Water's dangerous even for sober people. And most of the cities in the US, even smallish ones, were built on the water for transportation reasons. Usually you don't have to go far from a bar, shopping area, or apartment complex to find yourself near enough water to drown in.

 

[HelpingHeart]

I think a lot of it is simply because drunk people aren't as coordinated and have impaired judgment. So they're more likely to slip and fall, and less likely to be able to help themselves if they slide into the water--especially in the winter, when the cold water can cause shock or hypothermia very quickly.

Yes, but some weren’t even near water to begin with. I can see if they were already by it and fell in being uncoordinated.

 

[HelpingHeart]

I think a lot of it is simply because drunk people aren't as coordinated and have impaired judgment. So they're more likely to slip and fall, and less likely to be able to help themselves if they slide into the water--especially in the winter, when the cold water can cause shock or hypothermia very quickly.

Yes, but some weren’t even near water to begin with. I can see if they were already by it and fell in being uncoordinated.

 

[carbuff]

Yes, but some weren’t even near water to begin with. I can see if they were already by it and fell in being uncoordinated.

It doesn't explain all of them, certainly.

 

[Osugal]

I just wonder what kind of accident he had, some are saying "freak accident". Just so many things it could be. We may never know.

 

[kelsie]

Do we have a photo of the bridge he fell off of?

 

[Osugal]

His family, per someone that is a family friend, are saying he did not fall off a bridge, was no where near a bridge when he was found.

 

[Osugal]

It was a very reliable source so I tend to believe this is true.

 

[Seattle1]

I don’t think so. In that case, I imagine they’d simply call it “accidental.”

Unless they know something we don’t, I just can’t imagine they could ever reach that conclusion.

Had the circumstances been different, and he expressed suicidal ideation prior, then it would be possible. That doesn’t seem to be the case.

Coroner/medical examiner is limited to defining the manner of death as natural, accident, suicide, homicide, pending, or undetermined. There's no evidence of foul play and/or homicide and it seems suicide also ruled out here.

 

[Seattle1]

Do we have a photo of the bridge he fell off of?

His family, per someone that is a family friend, are saying he did not fall off a bridge, was no where near a bridge when he was found.

I'm not aware of any evidence a bridge was involved in the death of Alex.

In cases where a victim falls or jumps off a bridge, some die instantly from internal injuries, while others drown or die of hypothermia. The coroner could certainly determine if Alex body made high impact with the water.

Why is this an issue?

 

[kelsie]

Sorry, the family and friends had announced he had fallen off a bridge and it was a tragic accident, but I can't find a good link to post.

 

[Osugal]

Sorry, the family and friends had announced he had fallen off a bridge and it was a tragic accident, but I can't find a good link to post.

Yes, I heard that too. I was surprised by this last statement about no bridge being involved. Its confusing.

 

[Seattle1]

Sorry, the family and friends had announced he had fallen off a bridge and it was a tragic accident, but I can't find a good link to post.

Yes, I heard that too. I was surprised by this last statement about no bridge being involved. Its confusing.

Thanks. I followed MSM pretty close and recall no indication of the bridge so I think it was probably speculation by friends on SM. Nonetheless, I think it's now confirmed after the coroner report and police investigation that Alex did not fall from a bridge.

 

[Alethea]

Thanks. I followed MSM pretty close and recall no indication of the bridge so I think it was probably speculation by friends on SM. Nonetheless, I think it's now confirmed after the coroner report and police investigation that Alex did not fall from a bridge.

What do you think happened? I was going with stumbled off one of these overpasses without rails but that seems to be ruled out.

 

[Seattle1]

What do you think happened? I was going with stumbled off one of these overpasses without rails but that seems to be ruled out.

Reportedly Alex left his apartment around 2AM-- seemingly without sleep and headed to the trail where he was found -- en route to his friend's house in Natomas to spend the night. I think he most likely stumbled and/or fell into the water and was unable to get up, and found along the riverbed or marsh after the water subsided.

As others have noted, intoxication and water accidents are very common. I also had a friend at university that was intoxicated -- walked around a car park looking to crash in his friend's car when he stumbled along the adjacent shoreline into a lake. It took more than a week to locate his body after he floated a few feet under a footbridge. Investigators knew he did not fall off the footbridge as one of his shoes was found along the shoreline where he entered the water.

MOO

 

[RANCH]

Reportedly Alex left his apartment around 2AM-- seemingly without sleep and headed to the trail where he was found -- en route to his friend's house in Natomas to spend the night. I think he most likely stumbled and/or fell into the water and was unable to get up, and found along the riverbed or marsh after the water subsided.

As others have noted, intoxication and water accidents are very common. I also had a friend at university that was intoxicated -- walked around a car park looking to crash in his friend's car when he stumbled along the adjacent shoreline into a lake. It took more than a week to locate his body after he floated a few feet under a footbridge. Investigators knew he did not fall off the footbridge as one of his shoes was found along the shoreline where he entered the water.

MOO

Do we know that Alex was intoxicated?

 

[Seattle1]

Do we know that Alex was intoxicated?

As Alex death ruled an accident, I do not believe toxicology results will ever be public so the only indication of AH state when last seen alive would be by his gf. MOO

 

[almagata]

When the final autopsy is complete, you could request a copy of the report which includes the toxicology report if the coroner runs one. The reports cost $11.

 

[Vail]

The last several pages of this thread went over where he was found based on official statements (Mile Marker 3 of American River in the water near the 160 overpass):

Decedent Search Page
No foul play suspected in death of missing Springfield man found in Sacramento
Officials ID body found in American River as missing Sacramento man Alex Holden
Sacramento Police on Twitter

Google Maps Panorama of the 160 underpass riverbank. Note I don't have any special info this was exactly where he was found - just going from descriptions.

No one knows how he got there and LE have not yet determined how he died. The ME probably has the best guess. LE/friends likely speculated he fell off the bridge based on where he was found and because it would take more explaining a scenario where Alex walks himself down to the riverbank in the dark for no apparent reason and drowns. 160 has an extremely small shoulder and low barriers. It is most reasonable to conclude he was walking to his friend's house and took the safest/well lit route, had impaired reaction and either lost his balance, or became unbalanced due to other factors (car coming too close, someone on a bicycle, tripping on uneven pavement, needing to vomit etc).

There shouldn't be an issue with releasing basic facts. It would help the community move on and allow the family the closure they probably would like. Due to the interest in Alex's case, I am sure they will report the final COD once they make it. As we've seen in other cases, toxicology takes several weeks.