When police entered the apartment, “they could see

their breath,”

said his sister.

RUMFORD – A disabled man was found dead in his home Saturday, a rented apartment where the power or heat had apparently been turned off or down.

Wilfred Crosby, 32, of Rumford, was found dead in his apartment that “was cold,” said Rumford Police Sgt. Stacy Carter. “It was cold, below average,” Carter said.

Crosby’s sister, Trina Goding, said family members discovered Saturday that the heat and power had been turned off Wednesday or Thursday. They worry that a lack of heat contributed to Crosby’s death, who was disabled with severe diabetes.

Family members don’t understand why there was no heat in his apartment, Goding said. Her brother was in the process of moving because he had difficulty with a lack of heat in the past, Goding said while crying. “It was cold in there.” When police went to Crosby’s apartment Saturday, “they could see their breath,” she said.

Sgt. Carter said Crosby’s cause of death is not known, that the case has been referred to the state Medical Examiner’s Office and is under investigation by Rumford Police Lt. Wayne Gallant.

Carter declined to release Crosby’s street address. Police went to the home Saturday morning after a relative found Crosby and notified police, Carter said.

Central Maine Power spokesman Gail Rice said Saturday night she had no knowledge of the case. “CMP has not received any calls from the authorities on this. If there is an investigation and they ask us, we’ll cooperate,” Rice said.

– By Bonnie Washuk