This week’s Hook provides the full story behind 19-year-old Billy Dean and his fall to his death on the Downtown Mall on September 13th. Though whether it was an accident or intentional on his part is still unknown, Courteney Stuart’s interview with his family provides fairly good evidence that it was accidental.
News and meta-news about Charlottesville, VA, since 2001.
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Police announced this afternoon that their investigation into what was initially believed to be a fatal fire on Rugby Avenue is now a homicide investigation. #
The Virginia Supreme Court has denied George Huguely’s appeal. His second-degree murder conviction will stand, WRIC reports. #
In a carefully worded story, and not citing specific sources, WTVR reports that forensic evidence belonging to Jesse Matthew Jr., the main suspect in the disappearance of Hannah Graham, matches forensic evidence collected during the investigation of Morgan Harrington’s 2009 murder. #
In the wake of Hannah Graham’s disappearance, and the evidence that came from private security footage, city officials are revisiting the question of installing security cameras on the downtown mall. #
Both Charlottesville Registrar Sheri Iachetta and former Electoral Board member Stephanie Commander have turned themselves in to the police on
foursix and four felony counts of embezzlement, respectively. #Ten years ago, the National Institutes of Health budget doubled and schools like the University of Virginia built massive new research facilities. A decade later, those buildings remain largely underutilized. NPR visits UVA in this story on the effect of federal binge and spurge spending in the sciences. #
In 2012, Council approved a new student housing complex on West Main—now some council members are questioning whether what they were shown matches what was built. #
The Architectural Review Board has approved a bike-themed mural on West Market, below the McGuffey Art Center, although at least one member expressed concerns that it might look like the bicyclists were riding away from Charlottesville’s downtown. #
City Police Chief Tim Longo is meeting with city leaders to work on protocols regarding the use of military surplus police weapons in Charlottesville. #
A 100-year-old Colonnades resident received military honors for her service in the WWII Women’s Army Corps #
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he jumped
either that or was messing around or doing something he shouldn’t have.
I dont think the story was implying that he was climbing on the building friday night.
We simply dont know, but if he started climbing up the front face of the building, someone would have surely seen him. Whenever I climb buildings downtown, someone immedietly comes to cheer me on, or insist that I come down. Everyone has an opinion.
Also, there is a STAIRCASE to the roof of that building, I dont see how anyone would climb the face of the building with such an easy route up in back.
<blockquote>On the night of his death, Billy’s grandmother, Dorothy Dean, says the teen had misplaced the key to his third-floor apartment, just above the dance studio something that had happened before. He reportedly told some kids on the Mall, "I know how to get in," and was then seen climbing up the back of the building.
"He had gotten in through a skylight on another occasion," says his father, Terry, who believes Billy thought he could enter an apartment window via the roof, which is approximately 40 feet above the Mall. </blockquote>
Doesn’t that sound like he misplaced his keys and climbed up to get in? I don’t know if this means that is what he was doing when he fell, but it sure reads as if this happened that night at least.
No, you didn’t misread the quote. That’s the impression that the Hook story leaves–that he must have been trying to climb into a window.
oooooh, climbing DOWN from the roof to a window, gotcha, downclimbing is horribly dangeorus, you simply cant see whats below you.
That explains why no one saw him climb up. This makes sense. He climbed the stairs, walked across the roof, over the front and fell while trying to get in the window.
He did NOT jump. That makes perfect sense to me now, Thanks.