Homer Police: Resident Dies of Exposure After Leaving Assisted Living Facility

Homer Police have released information to an incident that occurred in the early morning hours of Wednesday, January 28. Police were dispatched just before 4 in the morning to the Elizabeth Brewster House on South Main Street in the Village of Homer for a missing person.

Police say staff at the facility discovered an 84-year old male resident was not in his room or anywhere inside the facility. Staff believed the man had left the building and called County 9-1-1, which resulted in several law enforcement agencies responding.

Homer Police say when officers arrived, they began to check the area of the facility and businesses that were open. An employee at a business informed police they thought they saw the man inside the business earlier in the morning. After reviewing security cameras, officers determined that it was not the missing man.

Residents within a 5-mile radius of the Brewster House received a reverse 9-1-1 call alerting them of the missing person. Temperatures outside last Wednesday morning were near zero degrees.

Police continued searching the area, including the exterior of the facility, where they located the 84-year-old man. Homer Police said he was found deceased due to inclement weather conditions. Authorities reported no indications of foul play, and the County Coroner’s Office determined the cause of death to be accidental.

Homer Police say the investigation remains ongoing by them and the New York State Department of Health. The name of the deceased male was not released by police. X101 News has reached out to the Department of Health for Additional Information.