Found Deceased OH - Harley Dilly, 14, walking to Port Clinton High School, 20 Dec 2019 #5

[Kiranerys]

It was ~16 degrees at 6 am and 18 degrees at 7 when he was last seen. There was no wind to speak of.

Port Clinton, OH Weather History | Weather Underground

He wasnt last seen at 7am,his mother didnt "see" him that morning at all,and the last believed sighting of him was at 6.08 am on cctv.

 

[firebird]

He wasnt last seen at 7am,his mother didnt "see" him that morning at all,and the last believed sighting of him was at 6.08 am on cctv.

Thanks. So the temp was closer to 16 than 18 and no wind.

 

[KatHudson]

It would have taken him just as long, if not longer, to scale the antenna and negotiate the roof. Especially if he was freezing. Plus, to most 14 year old boys, anything above freezing is shorts weather.

This antenna is like a ladder. I have done this myself. This would take less than 2 minutes, especially if you are in a hurry because you are freezing.

 

[firebird]

This antenna is like a ladder. I have done this myself. This would take less than 2 minutes, especially if you are in a hurry because you are freezing.

That's not a minus sign. It's an "approximate" sign. We'll have to agree to disagree on the time it would take to get to the chimney. Can you please provide a link to Harley was freezing and went down the chimney of a vacant house to get warm?

 

[Sonic7273]

It was 9° and windy in Port Clinton, Ohio on the morning on December 20, at 6am when a 100 pound boy with zero body fat, no insulation from the cold, was (reportedly) told to walk 4 blocks to school. He didn't climb into a chimney to 'explore' to 'plan a party', or to steal something... He was desperately trying to get warm.

We don’t know why he left so early. If mom was in bed when he was talking to her and getting ready to leave, she really had no control over when he would leave the house. He could have stayed and hung out. Who knows what reason made him leave the house at such an early time. I think IMO if freezing was such a concern for him, he would have just stayed in the warm house for a bit longer before heading out. I’m not so sure he was very concerned over how cold it was.

 

[KatHudson]

That's not a minus sign. It's an "approximate" sign. We'll have to agree to disagree on the time it would take to get to the chimney. Can you please provide a link to Harley was freezing and went down the chimney of a vacant house to get warm?

Harley said he was freezing, and showed his "goosebumps" on camera, when it was 34°... If he was freezing at 34° he was freezing at 16°. Harley said he got into an argument because he didn't want to walk to school in 34° weather.

 

[Andreee]

Sorry to hear about your recent family losses. Stay strong Andree.

Thanks so much!

 

[heed101]

We don’t know why he left so early. If mom was in bed when he was talking to her and getting ready to leave, she really had no control over when he would leave the house. He could have stayed and hung out. Who knows what reason made him leave the house at such an early time. I think IMO if freezing was such a concern for him, he would have just stayed in the warm house for a bit longer before heading out. I’m not so sure he was very concerned over how cold it was.

Still have questions about that Dec 20 morning. Last day of school before Christmas vacation. Should have been a happy day. RIP Harley Dilly.

 

[squareandrabbet]

I'm not familiar with video games including Fortnite but hope this can be a teaching moment that things depicted on a game are not reality. (His mom alleges the game could have given him the idea for seeking treasures). I now wonder if the game illustrates entering a chimney or confined space head first which would really limit the possibility of escaping or even recovering from that position.... Hope Harley's story can save others from a similar tragedy.

FWIW, I doubt the part about "seeking treasures", as you would think that in a town with so many "summer people" even a 12-year-old, and especially one who lived directly across from a non-full-time residence, would balk at taking "treasures" because they would understand that this would be "stealing", the home not actually being, well, abandoned.

Of course, this would be one of those instances in which I suspect his mother would know him better than I, so there's that. Maybe it did sound like a good idea to Harley. I can't remember a time when I wasn't thinking "Why did the Grinch go down the chimney head first? Didn't he know he could fall and break his neck?"; but that doesn't mean that Harley was aware of these dangers, at the age of 12.

 

[Sam970407]

FWIW, I doubt the part about "seeking treasures", as you would think that in a town with so many "summer people" even a 12-year-old, and especially one who lived directly across from a non-full-time residence, would balk at taking "treasures" because they would understand that this would be "stealing", the home not actually being, well, abandoned.

Of course, this would be one of those instances in which I suspect his mother would know him better than I, so there's that. Maybe it did sound like a good idea to Harley. I can't remember a time when I wasn't thinking "Why did the Grinch go down the chimney head first? Didn't he know he could fall and break his neck?"; but that doesn't mean that Harley was aware of these dangers, at the age of 12.

Harley was 14 NOT 12

 

[firebird]

Harley said he was freezing, and showed his "goosebumps" on camera, when it was 34°... If he was freezing at 34° he was freezing at 16°. Harley said he got into an argument because he didn't want to walk to school in 34° weather.

I'm not sure I can comment per WS rules on the video beyond saying that he's a 14 year old apparently p*ssed at his mother for having to walk to school - amongst other things. I have one of those, so that informs my impression of what's going on there.

ETA: he shows his hand for the "goosebumps" - you normally don't get goosebumps on your hands (or your face) for physiological reasons.

 

[unitsix]

Not defending or blaming the mom. Just MOO of why everyone is so critical of her.
This loss has touched a lot of people and everyone wants to know why this happened. People are saddened and angry.
I think she just doesn't know any better for whatever reason when she says or writes things and a lot is read into it. Some suggested on here that she should probably keep silent and stay off SM and here the dad is also looked at for being quiet. My opinion is that if she spoke more of things she had wished she had done better or say she made mistakes, or speculated on her own failings, the public would be less critical. However when someone is just defensive and tries to lay blame elsewhere, it alienates people and makes it hard to empathize with her. Maybe she does realize things she could have done better in private and is repeating things people close to her have said to comfort her or she's been told to not admit to anything that would indicate negligence.
Or maybe she believes her actions that make people question her parenting were justified with what worked with the family dynamics. HD showed us his side he wanted us to see on SM. We heard his versions. We don't know the reasons behind the many things everyone is criticizing her for.
The obituary was beautifully written and I hope the words were loving memories provided by his mom and hoping there were more loving moments than the discord we tend to focus on.

 

[Night Watcher]

I did not see any mention of gloves or mittens, maybe I missed it. Grabbing a hold of cold metal in freezing temps would cause the fingers to become numb in seconds, maybe even frostbite. I did not know Harley but I did really like him through his social media postings. Hopefully his Youtube videos stay up as a tribute to him so that he will not be forgotten. I especially like this video of Harley in a classroom.

 

[K9Enzo]

Harley said he was freezing, and showed his "goosebumps" on camera, when it was 34°... If he was freezing at 34° he was freezing at 16°. Harley said he got into an argument because he didn't want to walk to school in 34° weather.

IMO, showing these videos (not even the same time period of when he went missing) is border-line exploiting this child to fit ones narrative.

I remember my mom reading some of my journal as a teen and crying about what I wrote about her. I was angry, didn’t get my way about something. It was not how I felt about her overall, at all. I had strict parents and friends with relaxed rules. I was mad.

Hi-five to those parents who never experienced a teenager who was/is always happy with you as a parent.

 

[KatHudson]

IMO, showing these videos (not even the same time period of when he went missing) is border-line exploiting this child to fit ones narrative.

The 'narrative' is derived from Harley's videos and all other available information. Harley can't speak. His videos are his only voice. When asked for a link to prove Harley was freezing in freezing temperatures, this video is all there is.

 

[Syxanthi]

Why, if I may ask?

Because I feel it would be due diligence, if the whole scene could be independently forensically investigated by an external agency.

 

[firebird]

Because I feel it would be due diligence, if the whole scene could be independently forensically investigated by an external agency.

I can't think of any new material information they could learn from that exercise that would justify the expense. Curious if you have something in mind. (sorry to jump on your post. It just fell in the thread as I was reading )

 

[Lmustang89]

MOO - Was Harley challenged/told/forced by someone to go on top of the house. My 17 year old (adhd etc) and emotional immaturity would not have gone on a house roof even if offered money.

 

[AgeofAquaruis]

So for the record, fortnite players get into the houses by either breaking walls down with their axe or just plain opening doors. The chimney is not a functional feature through which a player could enter an abandoned house. And per my s

Harley Dilly's former teacher remembers his love for the NFL

AMHERST — Harley Dilly was a huge fan of the Cleveland Browns and loved talking about football, his former teacher remembers.

About once a week for two years, Eric Watts would sit down with the Port Clinton teenager for lunch.

They'd dissect Sunday's games and rave about Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes.

"He was just a fan of the sport. He loved following stats, following teams, seeing great plays, big catches, big tackles," Watts said.

Before taking a job this fall as director of the Amherst's Marion L. Steele High School choir, Watts was Dilly's teacher for three years in Port Clinton.

He was also his mentor in an Ottawa County program that paired adults with students who faced academic or personal challenges.

They were close — saying goodbye at the end of the school year was hard, Watts remembers.

When Dilly, 14, went missing Dec. 20, it was disturbing, he said. And, after weeks of searches, it was devastating to learn that Dilly had been found dead, suffocated inside the chimney of a vacant Port Clinton home.

Watts got the news Tuesday while teaching.

Steele Principal Joe Tellier covered his class while Watts went to his office to mourn behind a closed door.

He said he watched the press conference where investigators described the sad end to the hunt for the missing teen.

"It was something I was not ready to really accept until I knew what had actually happened," he said. "It takes some time to sink in. Anytime something like this happens, there's a certain element of disbelief as you process it all."

Watts said Dilly sang in the choir in sixth and seventh grade. He also wrote a weekly column for the school newspaper, recapping happenings in the NFL.

"He was energetic. He was passionate. His love for sports — you get him started and he'd go as long as you'd let him. The same with video games," Watts said.

"It's still not real. It's still a little surreal at this point," he said.

Harley Dilly's former teacher remembers his love for the NFL

:*(

 

[simlyme]

The 'narrative' is derived from Harley's videos and all other available information. Harley can't speak. His videos are his only voice. When asked for a link to prove Harley was freezing in freezing temperatures, this video is all there is.

And again, it is your opinion, you are stating it as fact, that on the day he went missing he was freezing because he said so in a previous video.