The apartment ‘wasn’t freezing,’ a policeman said.
By Terry Karkos
Staff Writer

RUMFORD – Foul play wasn’t a factor in the death of a disabled Rumford man Saturday, said investigating Detective Lt. Wayne Gallant.

Wilfred Crosby, 32, of Rumford was found dead in his rented apartment Saturday morning by a relative who summoned police to the scene. Police declined to release Crosby’s street address.

“There is nothing suspicious about this. Based on our investigation, there was no foul play involved,” Gallant said Monday afternoon.

The investigation revealed that Crosby, who was disabled with severe diabetes and had medical conditions, died sometime during Friday night or early Saturday morning, Gallant added.

Autopsy results are still pending further toxicology testing by the Medical Examiner’s Office, an official there in Augusta said Monday afternoon.

Both the power and heat were off in the apartment, but Gallant said Crosby had “turned the power off.”

Family members worried that a lack of heat in the apartment contributed to Crosby’s death. But police believe otherwise.

“It was a cold apartment, and there was no heat in the room, but there was heat coming in from another apartment, and other sources,” Gallant said.

Trina Goding, Crosby’s sister, said Saturday that it was cold in the apartment, and that police “could see their breath” when they went to the apartment.

But Gallant said that neither he nor any of the officers who responded saw their breath.

“The temperature inside his apartment was between 50 to 60 degrees. It wasn’t freezing,” Gallant said.

tkarkos@sunjournal.com

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