Overdose suspected as cause of death

The 24-year-old man whose body was found in the bushes near Northeast 45th Street and Northeast 18th Avenue Wednesday afternoon likely died of a drug overdose, a UW Police Department (UWPD) spokesperson said yesterday.

The victim's name, released yesterday by the King County Medical Examiner's office, was Korey Steven Klein. He was from Ketchikan, Alaska. Police also believe the body had not been deceased long before being discovered by a UW student who had been observing the area for a biology class.

"He had been there probably less than 12 hours," said UWPD Assistant Chief Ray Wittmier. "We have no question he was alive 24 hours before."

The official cause of death will not be released for three to six weeks, although "the medical examiner indicated all of what he'd seen was the classic drug overdose scenario," Wittmier said.

The victim's position and drug paraphernalia found nearby point to an overdose as a highly likely cause of death, UWPD Sergeant Peter Celms said.

"It's just a tragedy. It's a 24-year-old young man whose life is over," he said.

Police discovered what appeared to be a complete injection kit with the body, and 21 needles were found in the area by a hazardous materials crew hired to clean up the scene.

Celms said the amount of drug paraphernalia suggests the brushy area was a prime location for drug use.

"It's probably a good thing we were alerted to that," he said.

Even so, UWPD officials said these discoveries show little in the way of a safety threat to students and people living near the scene.

"The biggest concern with the crowd around illegal drugs is the theft issue," Wittmier said.