Man entombed for 27 years in chimney to get funeral

AP via MSNBC ^ | 8-12-11

[DeoVindiceSicSemperTyrannis]

ABBEVILLE, La. — The narrow, brick chimney of a Louisiana bank became his tomb for 27 years and now Joseph Schexnider will be laid to rest Sunday in a proper grave with a proper farewell by his family.

Still, his brother Robert wonders, how did he wind up in that chimney? Didn't anyone hear any cries for help? Was it a robbery attempt gone awry, an accident or something more sinister?...

[snip]

"Everybody has an opinion," said Lt. David Hardy, chief of investigations for the Abbeville Police Department. "But no one has evidence to say one way or another."

If Joseph Schexnider did cry out for help, no one heard his pleas. The stench of death was never detected.

The decades rolled on until last May when a construction worker helping turn the bank's vacant second floor into offices tugged some fabric out of the chimney and was showered with old clothes and human bones.

[snip]

From the way the skeleton was recovered, Hardy said it appeared Schexnider went into the 14-inch-by-14-inch chimney feet first. Because the chimney narrowed sharply at the bottom, he then was apparently unable to maneuver his way back out.

There was no way out at the bottom of the chute, which ended in a 3-inch opening to a narrow fireplace on the second floor of the bank building.

"He was stuck with nowhere to go," Hardy said. If he had called for help — Hardy points out — he would have been 20 feet above the street, and encased in bricks.

"His voice would have been carried up and away from the street," Hardy added.

[Charles Henrickson]

"He was the kind of guy who would do things without really thinking them through,"

Put it on his tombstone.

[oh8eleven]

Thief Jerky.
LOL - you owe me a keyboard, Tex.

[A_perfect_lady]

Horrid, isn’t it? Who knows how long he was alive in there. (shudder)

[DJ MacWoW]

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[Joe 6-pack]

At least he’ll have a nice soot to wear ;-)

[oh8eleven]

Still, his brother Robert wonders, how did he wind up in that chimney?
Still waiting for family to comment that he was a good guy, just turning his life around, studying for GED ....

[Lazamataz]

Okay, that thar was funny, I don't care WHO ya are.

[Paladin2]

"Was it a robbery attempt gone awry, an accident or something more sinister?... "

He was trying to be The Stork.

[Stormdog]

Hide n Seek champion

[central_va]

"Was it a robbery attempt gone awry, an accident or something more sinister?... "

It is clear liberalism is a mental disorder rendering a person incapable of making clear value judgments. This is why Casey Anthony walks amongst us still.

[RckyRaCoCo]

..died in the bank's chimney in 1984

Hope he got to see the Tigers win the World Series.

Guess Goose Gossage wasn't the only one sh#t'n bricks that year.

[dfwgator]

Maybe he was a Cubs fan.

[MinuteGal]

It appears the way he was stacked in the chimney prevented anyone from hearing his bellows.

Leni

[RckyRaCoCo]

Maybe he was a Cubs fan.

Now it all makes sense.

(vented...his frustration?)

[I still care]

From the story, seems like the guy was simple and on the verge of being homeless. I hate to think some guys enticed him to get into the chimney to rob the bank, and ran off when they realized he was stuck and they couldn’t get him out.

In any case, an awful way to die.

[Blood of Tyrants]

Technically it would have been a burglary.

[zbogwan2]

Years ago a black dude was found in a chimney of a store on Gratiot Ave. in Detroit, Michigan. I guess these dudes are never very bright to think they can rob a store by going down one of these death traps? Their deaths have to be very horrible anyway.

[Boiling point]

Hearth attack?

[LibLieSlayer]

That was a gud ‘un.

LLS

[dfwgator]

Years ago a black dude was found in a chimney of a store on Gratiot Ave. in Detroit, Michigan.

Well if he wasn't black before, he certainly was black afterwards.