ELLSWORTH, Maine — A Washington County man died Wednesday morning in Ellsworth after being found lying on the ground in a downtown alleyway, according to police.
The deceased man has been identified as Ronald J. LaCasse, 64, of Machias, police indicated in an incident report.
Police were alerted to the body at 7:05 a.m. by an employee reporting to work at Maine Shellfish Co. LaCasse was found on the ground between two Maine Shellfish buildings off Pine Street, police indicated.
“It appeared the male was sleeping or passed out,” Ellsworth police Officer Chris Smith wrote in the report.
Police do not know how long LaCasse may have been in the alleyway before he was found.
County Ambulance responded to the scene and took LaCasse to Maine Coast Memorial Hospital in Ellsworth, where he later died of hypothermia, according to Smith.
Temperatures in the area were around 10 degrees at the time LaCasse was found, according to data collected and posted online by the National Weather Service.
According to Ellsworth police Lt. Harold Page, LaCasse was wearing jeans, sneakers, a T-shirt and a zip-up sweater when he was found.
Page said early Wednesday afternoon that officers have determined LaCasse had been staying at the Emmaus Homeless Shelter and was there until noon the day before he was found. Police are checking local businesses to see where he may have been between then and when he was found in the alley, he said.
The medical examiner’s office has been notified and is investigating the death, the office indicated.
Further information about the incident was not immediately available early Wednesday afternoon.
so sad
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Bet he was on the list of people that would be cut from Mainecare, too. Sadly, you’re right, there will be more, and A LOT more if LePage gets his way and cuts private residential services to thousands of Maine’s elderly when there are only 400 public beds available. The radicals on here don’t care if these old people have no home and end up on the streets in the cold as long as the few pennies from their pay doesn’t go towards helping anyone else, whether they need the help or not.
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Truly sad for someone to die cold and probably all alone…..may he be at peace and also condolences to family and friends…
Surprised anyone noticed in Ellsworth.
can you clarify what you mean by that comment? Just curious…..
I’m thinking The Lions, Chamber of Commerce, police, HCSO and ALL Ellsworth residents would never want to discover even you dying in that cold alley Mr. Buck.
Very sad indeed….RIP
sadly with all the cuts going on in the local, state, and federal govt, this type of story will probably become more of common… Condolences to all affected by the sad and senseless tragedy
God help us and speak the the hearts of those who would judge a person who has less than…. Judge not. For all so many of us…. But,by the grace of God, there go I…..
and blah blah blah..
ah, a christian
Your point ? If you mean religious? No, not at all. Being a christian has nothing to do with religion. Believing in God and in his son, nothing to do with religion. Being a kind soul with compassion and understanding is how God works” through” us. I would rather believe that there is a God, only to die and find out there isn’t, than to believe there is no God ,only to die and find out there IS !
I said that to wetheminion because I have seen his rather hostile and caustic comments on here often. I was being sarcastic. I have met many who are so-called christians who do not have much compassion. Thus my comment. I thought perhaps it might make him think.
Dear blah-blah,
Your comment was totally uncalled for and intended to hurt and insult. If that is the way you roll, I feel nothing but pity for you. I am sure of this… What goes round, comes round…. I am sorry that your human spirit has been so wounded that it does not allow for you to feel the suffering of others or to show any compassion.May a Higher power speak to your heart and heal you of your short comings.I know not what has happened to you in your life that makes you unable to be compassionate towards those who suffer. I am sorry for your sufferings.
Some of the posts here are completely ignorant how Mainecare works, and it’s shameful to use a man’s death to further more propaganda about Mainecare cuts. The man was staying in a shelter. Shelters do not accept, nor need/want Mainecare. So, pray tell how Mainecare plays into this? What was his blood alcohol level? What were his medical conditions? Ya know, folks die every day at 64 and even younger…please explain how proposed Mainecare cuts have anything to do with this, and how do any of you know if he did or did not have Mainecare? At 64, he’d qualify for Medicare, anyway.
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Some of the posts here are completely ignorant how Mainecare works, and it’s shameful to use a man’s death to further more propaganda about Mainecare cuts. The man was staying in a shelter. Shelters do not accept, nor need/want Mainecare. So, pray tell how Mainecare plays into this? What was his blood alcohol level? What were his medical conditions? Ya know, folks die every day at 64 and even younger…please explain how proposed Mainecare cuts have anything to do with this, and how do any of you know if he did or did not have Mainecare? At 64, he’d qualify for Medicare, anyway.
You must be 65 to qualify for medicare unless you have a disability.
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Actually, you are the one who is wrong. I have worked with homeless people and the majority have mainecare, AND need it.
He died from hypothermia from being outside in the cold. When all those disabled and elderly people in private residential facilities have those services cut they will have NOWHERE TO GO. Are you seriously too daft to realize that? Thousands of people will be affected and lose residential funding…and the state only has 400 public beds. Where do you think all those people will go? The private residential facilities will CLOSE because of lack of funding.
Oh…and medicare doesn’t cover medication needs…that’s why most seniors of lower income also get mainecare. It’s either that or they go without medications or don’t eat.
This particular person was a drinker. Great man to talk too, real sick though. Give him a break and let him rest in peace now. He had now wife as far as i know, he was cold and alone. I hope they remove your disgusting comment
i don ‘t recall saying he did or didn’t have mainecare… the point i was trying to get to, is with all the cuts for the poor sick and needy. this kind of story is going to become more common. there ARE going to be people who end up on the street or in jail, if not death due to these cuts. your right, shelters don’t make you pay or show insurance, but what about the boarding homes, mental hospitals etc that will be kicking people out because they can’t afford to pay?? obviously your not one of the less fortunate who NEEDS mainecare, and well neither am i. BUT i am a firm believer that everyone deserves the SAME TREATMENT no matter there age, color, medical history, addictions or anything else… THEY ARE STILL HUMAN BEINGS AND SHOULD BE TREATED AS SUCH
Count your blessings.
Hey LePage, this is where your cuts are heading. Knowing you I bet you had a few rotten laughs about all these comments.
How can you accept this. Oh, I forgot, you only have to satisfy your special interest friends.
Just maybe when the Maine-Care cuts go into effect it will give Maine a few more dollars to open some more homeless shelters to cater to those who come to Maine from other states to take advantage of our tax dollars! It’s very sad that this old gentleman passed in such a way, but Maine-Care wouldn’t have saved him, as it doesn’t cover shelter costs. He could have set a fire under an Ellsworth cruiser and Maine-Care cuts would have been to blame as it was with the gentleman in Bangor, at least he would have been provided with a warm place and his meals. The shelters have to turn people away when they are full and the jails are running out of places too. I know a few people who live in this town, one who migrated here from Texas (born in Germany) and a couple who migrated here from Florida (female born in Puerto Rico male born in Cuba) that stayed in a local shelter until someone found them a subsidized apartment, got them on Social Security disability, food stamps and Maine-Care. The Florida couple brag about how well they like it here and how easy it was to get everything they wanted and all for free! The guy from Texas says he doesn’t mind driving to Ashland for dental care, it’s all free with his Maine-Care and he even gets mileage reimbursement checks for driving to the dentist office and back. Maine has been much too generous for far too long. we should be thankful that we have a governor who’s willing to take a stand for the taxpayers in this state. Go Governor LePage! Clean up our state with cuts on Maine-Care, Welfare and any other freebies Maine has been known for and lessen the burden on the poor taxpayers.
eloquently said, but its gonna hurt.
the gentleman from bangor your referring to did NOT set a fire to a cruiser and blame it on mainecare cuts… he lit the cruiser on fire to bring attention to the MENTALLY ILL and all others that will be affected by these cuts…. sorry but just because lepage made something out of nothing in his life, and went without for a while before becoming a multimillionaire, doesn’t mean it’s going to work that way for everyone… instead of cutting off the people who actually NEED the help, why not start by taking the ones who don’t help them selves, who use the system to LIVE not GET BY. there are so many answers to our problems but not taking care of the PEOPLE in OUR COMMUNITIES is most definitely NOT the answer
so because some people take advantage of our system E V E R Y O N E who N E E D S it should have to suffer? there’s a reason we have a system of check and balances, there’s a reason we have a fraud investigation dept. why NOT use these resources?? why not revamp the fraud investigation. why not revamp the check and balance system?? as a member of a local ambulance service, and a local substance abuse councilor, i can tell you with almost certainty that Lepages “answer” to our shortfall problems is NO answer at all!!!!
America the free!!
To BDN: I wonder if he died before he was unresponsive? to the Gentleman, may you go with God.
..City of Ellsworth’s response is to remove a street light near where it happened so it won’t be so frightful.
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