Found Deceased OH - Harley Dilly, 14, walking to Port Clinton HS, 20 Dec 2019 #6 *found in chimney*

[Night Watcher]

Then it seems even less likely that anyone who did this purposely to Harley would have been able to climb a very high antenna, carrying a 14 year old, on to a steep roof, with no risk of being seen by anyone. And the only way into the chimney was from the rooftop...

There are some very strong people among us. Have you ever seen roofers carrying bundles of shingles up a ladder? There are videos online that show this. Here is one roofer carrying 180 pounds up a ladder.

 

[Cool Cats]

There are some very strong people among us. Have you ever seen roofers carrying bundles of shingles up a ladder? There are videos online that show this. Here is one roofer carrying 180 pounds up a ladder.

Yes but they are using ladders that they know are safe. Not untested skinny antenna towers that would be harder to climb.

Also that is only one story not 2 like the vacant house. But I get your point.

 

[PKnopf]

Interesting. Articles I've read say LE went in at 4:00pm and then found his coat and glasses on the 2nd floor. The way the articles read makes it sound like his things were found right away. They were reported to have been found by a flue.

In that case, it seems to me that LE and the fire department etc....would have accessed the flue then identified him long before 1:00am when the homeowner was informed.
The only thing I can think of is they ran dental record before notifying the home owner.

I do believe that when Hickman had been in the house but then told reporters Harvey was still missing, that the glasses and coat had been found but they had not taken the wall apart yet. An ambulance was there and that would indicate to me that they had found him. I would like to know the time the ambulance was dispatched.

...Opinion...

All of that sounds plausible. The wall and chimney dismantling was probably well under way, if not complete, before he (owner) left. I imagine it was probably a really slow, arduous process to try to preserve evidence as they went and not turn it into complete rubble, destroying anything else it that might be found.

"Police sources tell the FOX 8 I-Team an ambulance left the home at 2:30 a.m."

I-Team: Sources say missing Harley Dilly has been recovered

So it sounds like they were there a little over 10 hrs.

 

[skywalker20]

sbm

That’s one of the perplexing things to me. From the lengths of time he was in there (supposedly) and the amount of decomposition, many people are saying that it would have been very obvious there was a deceased body in the house just by smell alone. Which makes sense. But they were in there for a very long time and it truly seemed like they did not realize he was there until many many hours into it and then desperate steps were taken to bust through the wall. I say desperate because a sledgehammer was used instead of something more precise like a masonry saw. Just a disconnect for me. Especially with Hickman saying to the reporters after they had been in the house a bit that Harley was still considered missing. It’s possible that that was not the truth but what if it was because they had no idea he was in the wall/chimney?

Maybe they did not want to tell anyone until they had informed the parents.

 

[Night Watcher]

Interesting. Articles I've read say LE went in at 4:00pm and then found his coat and glasses on the 2nd floor. The way the articles read makes it sound like his things were found right away. They were reported to have been found by a flue.

In that case, it seems to me that LE and the fire department etc....would have accessed the flue then identified him long before 1:00am when the homeowner was informed.
The only thing I can think of is they ran dental record before notifying the home owner.

I do believe that when Hickman had been in the house but then told reporters Harvey was still missing, that the glasses and coat had been found but they had not taken the wall apart yet. An ambulance was there and that would indicate to me that they had found him. I would like to know the time the ambulance was dispatched.

...Opinion...

I did not see anywhere if the coat was dirty or clean It would have taken only minutes to use a flashlight and a mirror inserted into the 8" flue opening to see a body in the chimney. For hours, the police chief kept saying that no body was found.

 

[deugirtni]

I did not see anywhere if the coat was dirty or clean It would have taken only minutes to use a flashlight and a mirror inserted into the 8" flue opening to see a body in the chimney. For hours, the police chief kept saying that no body was found.

They may have known there was a body, but not that it was HD?

 

[Sam970407]

Yes but they are using ladders that they know are safe. Not untested skinny antenna towers that would be harder to climb.

Also that is only one story not 2 like the vacant house. But I get your point.

MOO
Do we have any proof OR EVIDENCE that the tower was the way he got in?
In no way is that comment directed at you, just on my mind and thought some what on subject.

 

[deugirtni]

We have talked here about how LE found the coat 'on the second floor', but some seem to have translated that into 'found the coat on the floor of the second level'.. and then how LE must have hung it up on the door themselves (which caused concern for some that LE may have potentially 'tampered' with the evidence (coat).. I'm wondering if the coat (with eyeglasses in the pocket of the coat), was stuck in the flue opening (the eight inch circle), and that is why officers 'tampered' with it. I don't think it had ever been reported that it had actually been found on the floor (imo, at least I didn't ever see that quote from LE). They may have surmised that HD was inside, but not wanting to cause heartache until it was known for sure what and whom they were dealing with, they may have said that 'no body had been found' (because it really hadn't until they'd bashed the bricks and retrieved the body)? speculation.

 

[deugirtni]

Remember the screenshot of the home where HD was found which showed the 'basement/crawlspace' window, which was held ajar with a broom? There was also what appears to be a piece of pink batting insulation hanging right beside it, fairly close - it is somewhat faded and not bright pink like a 'new' piece of insulation. I wonder if that insulation came from either the window, OR the inside of the top of the chimney, to keep out cold air? And who was it removed by, and for what purpose? Would be interesting to know if that insulation had been there the last time the homeowners were at their house in November. imo.

 

[Warwick7]

Tragedy: Harley Dilly found in chimney of unoccupied home

Tuesday January 14 Fox News Cleveland was reporting on the Port Clinton PD press conference and they also reported that:

"Investigators are still on scene gathering evidence. Sources added that a portion of the home’s wall was removed."

With the wall removed it would take days to have it repaired. I don't know if the PD or house insurance pays for repairs.

Strange the home's owner was there after the coat and glasses were found but wasn't told Harvey was found until he was back home at 1:00am. It must be because LE did not know until they had time to take the wall apart.

Seems they could not look up and see him, that he was hidden from site which makes sense.

But the smell wouldn't be hidden out of sight.

 

[Cool Cats]

MOO
Do we have any proof OR EVIDENCE that the tower was the way he got in?
In no way is that comment directed at you, justin my mind and thought some what on subject.

Circumstantial evidence. Most logical scenario. Only route up that they could see during their investigation or they would have mentioned possible other ways to get up.

...Opinion...

 

[stattlich1]

MOO, All speculation follows.....HD climbed up on that roof with the idea that he could access the inner part of the home by sliding down the chimney. It's that simple. My question is, arms up above head, or down by side. I'd propose very little room to maneuver in there, so my gut tells me his coat was off, he went in feet first, he had his arms in front of his chest, with hands or forearms riding the chimney wall directly to his front. He came to an abrupt stop within reach of the thimble. He then shoved his coat and glasses through the thimble, not certain whether they went all the way through to drop on the floor inside the home or not.

As stated publicly, he likely died within hours, if not sooner, possibly very quickly, depending on his ability to breath, or just how constricted he was in there.

Some have questioned the time element to announce they had found him. I imagine they had to remove the drywall/paneling, behind which would likely be the brick face of the chimney, including the thimble pass through. They'd then have to remove that brick face to remove the poor lads body, and from there, commence to make a positive ID. That all could very well take quite some time, in particular, if one were being careful to not do to much damage to potential evidence in the process.

May the power of God Almighty be with Harley. May he dance in Heaven with all the Angels.

BTW, I did some antenna work when I was younger, on an antenna tower just like the one HD climbed, and it was a breeze going up it. The design is for that very purpose, to be able to easily climb.

 

[deugirtni]

But the smell wouldn't be hidden out of sight.

Maybe people are correct in thinking it was the odor which prompted LE to finally check inside the house - and once inside, they found a maroon colored coat stuffed inside the 8" round flue opening in the wall of the second floor.. so they knew they had stumbled upon something, but all they really knew for sure is that *something* was decomposing inside (could've been an animal that got in to the chimney as well?), and that the jacket was stuffed into the hole, which matched the description of HD's jacket. (But if so, HD could have been hiding out inside the house, and put his coat into the hole to try to prevent the smell from entering?) Must be awfully tough for LE to investigate when all the news cameras are watching and social media of spectators is immediate, and meanwhile they are trying to get to the bottom of something without causing heartache for the family until it was known for sure. Wouldn't want to be them. imo.

 

[Night Watcher]

They may have known there was a body, but not that it was HD?

They would have known that there was an unidentified body. They probably speculated that it was Harley by the size of the body, clothing and shoes, if present. JMO.

 

[deugirtni]

They would have known that there was an unidentified body. They probably speculated that it was Harley by the size of the body, clothing and shoes, if present. JMO.

I'm sure they did speculate about that, but at the time they were saying they hadn't found a body, they may not have yet known whether it was human, or an animal, and if human, they wouldn't have wanted to speculate openly, for reasons stated above?

 

[Sonic7273]

I don’t know. Remember for weeks when we assumed that LE was holding their cards close to the vest and it actually turned out that they didn’t have any cards? For some reason, I’m still getting the feeling that they had no clue Harley was inside that chimney for hours.

 

[Warwick7]

Maybe people are correct in thinking it was the odor which prompted LE to finally check inside the house - and once inside, they found a maroon colored coat stuffed inside the 8" round flue opening in the wall of the second floor.. so they knew they had stumbled upon something, but all they really knew for sure is that *something* was decomposing inside (could've been an animal that got in to the chimney as well?), and that the jacket was stuffed into the hole, which matched the description of HD's jacket. (But if so, HD could have been hiding out inside the house, and put his coat into the hole to try to prevent the smell from entering?) Must be awfully tough for LE to investigate when all the news cameras are watching and social media of spectators is immediate, and meanwhile they are trying to get to the bottom of something without causing heartache for the family until it was known for sure. Wouldn't want to be them. imo.

You are right. However, a male teenager was missing, they knew his coat to be a red puffer jacket. It didn't take LE long to put 2 and 2 together. The smell would have been unbelievable.

 

[simlyme]

Here is a calendar of the weather in Port Clinton for Dec 2019 then click arrow to go into Jan 2020. I do not believe Harley stayed alive more than a couple hours on the day he most likely went down the chimney, especially without a coat. Hypothermia most likely set in quickly. I read somewhere and at this point ,it's my opinion , but I believe I read there wasn't any odor and I believe that because of the cold. Here is the weather link.
https://www.accuweather.com/en/us/port-clinton/43452/december-weather/1169?year=2019

 

[PKnopf]

I don’t know. Remember for weeks when we assumed that LE was holding their cards close to the vest and it actually turned out that they didn’t have any cards? For some reason, I’m still getting the feeling that they had no clue Harley was inside that chimney for hours.

There's this to make you wonder. (italics mine)

At just after 2 a.m. Tuesday, a white van was seen backing up to a side door at the vacant house, where just an hour earlier investigators cut a wall open from the inside on the second floor. The back door to the van was opened and police cars and an ambulance pulled up, blocking the view of the van. A few minutes after that, the white van pulled away from the house and a BCI unit also left.
​

Chief: Harley Dilly found dead in empty, locked house in Port Clinton; teen was discovered inside chimney

There were multiple news outlets there, some into the wee hours and I do remember at least one of them talking about the retrieval of a hatchet tool from an LE van and taken inside, along with the audible sounds suggestive of that activity, but not the time it commenced. Again, they were reportedly there for 10 hrs or more and I was picturing them chipping away for hours.

​

 

[Sonic7273]

There's this to make you wonder. (italics mine)

At just after 2 a.m. Tuesday, a white van was seen backing up to a side door at the vacant house, where just an hour earlier investigators cut a wall open from the inside on the second floor. The back door to the van was opened and police cars and an ambulance pulled up, blocking the view of the van. A few minutes after that, the white van pulled away from the house and a BCI unit also left.
​

Chief: Harley Dilly found dead in empty, locked house in Port Clinton; teen was discovered inside chimney

There were multiple news outlets there, some into the wee hours and I do remember at least one of them talking about the retrieval of a hatchet tool from an LE van and taken inside, along with the audible sounds suggestive of that activity, but not the time it commenced. Again, they were reportedly there for 10 hrs or more and I was picturing them chipping away for hours.

​

From what I recall, as many of us were following this live as it was unfolding, the hatchet or whatever appearance was hours into it. Remember how we were all saying that gosh, it might be a horrible scene in there for as long as they are taking to process the scene. That is from recollection though.