The Michigan man who was found dead inside the air vents of a community college last month had told his family he was trying to escape from police, authorities say.
Police said 36-year-old Jason Thompson—who had been missing since Nov. 1—climbed onto the roof of Macomb Community College sometime over the weekend and squeezed into the ventilation system undetected, making his way deeper before becoming stuck upside down.
Thompson’s phone was low on power when he first entered the vents, and it ran out entirely not long after, police said. He eventually died of accidental asphyxiation.
ADVERTISEMENT
“Once you’re in, there's no way to turn around. There's no way to turn around, and there’s a point where he’s traversed enough of its space, and the way that it moves, I don’t think you could back up,” Macomb College Police Chief William Leavens said during a press conference on Thursday.
Authorities revealed Thursday that Thompson had multiple active warrants against him, but there was no indication that police were actively searching for him.
Thompson’s body was discovered only after it began producing a nasty odor.
“There are indications in the investigation through family that he suffered some mental health concerns and issues,” Leavens said.
Thompson left behind two children, Killian and Kiara, according to a GoFundMe started by his cousin, Carissa.
“Jason was loved by many people and his family has been through a lot over the past month while he has been missing,” Carissa wrote on the page. “He was a son, brother, uncle, cousin, but most important he was loved by his family and friends and will be missed.”
