On July 3, Asheville Police Department detectives found the body of Nolan Trent Baker, 55, a homeless man, in the French Broad River. Police are investigating the death, but so far have found no signs of foul play and preliminary autopsy results point to natural causes.
According to an announcement from the APD, Baker’s body was found that afternoon near 427 Riverside Dr., after police received a call from “people who were boating on the river and saw the man’s body lodged against some rocks.” Baker’s body was recovered and examined by an APD forensics technician, but “there were no visible injuries or apparent signs of foul play.”
An autopsy on Baker’s body will be conducted by a medical examiner in Chapel Hill this week, the announcement notes. A July 6 update from the APD declares that “preliminary autopsy results suggest that Mr. Nolan Trent Baker died from natural causes, possibly a heart attack. Complete autopsy results, including pending toxicology, may take 4 to 6 weeks.”
— David Forbes, senior reporter
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