North Toledo man's death ruled to be homicide

3/9/2005

A 74-year-old man who was found dead inside his North Toledo apartment this week died of sharp-force injury to his neck, which severed blood vessels on the right side of his neck.

Dr. Cynthia Beisser, a Lucas County deputy coroner, also found blunt-force injury to Jessie Coleman's scalp during an autopsy yesterday. Although a final ruling is pending routine toxicology tests, Dr. Beisser ruled his death a homicide.

Mr. Coleman's daughter found her father's body Monday morning when she went to check on him at his Buffalo Street apartment when she couldn't reach him by phone twice during the weekend. She found him on his back on the living room floor, his face and head covered with blood, police said.

Investigators do not have a motive in the slaying. There were no signs of forced entry to his apartment.