Ohio authorities announced on Monday that the chimney Harley Dilly was found dead in earlier this month has been removed.
In a statement posted to Facebook, the Port Clinton Police Department said the homeowners decided to remove the chimney “out of respect” for Dilly’s family.
Dilly was found dead in the chimney on January 14. His glasses and jacket were reportedly located outside the flue on the second floor. Reports indicated that the home he was discovered in is a vacation home that was undergoing renovation while the owners were out of town.
Searchers reportedly canvassed the home before Dilly was found dead. There was reportedly no indication of forced entry, leading investigators to believe the residence was unoccupied. It’s unclear what led authorities back to the home on January 14.
Surveillance cameras had caught Dilly walking in an area between his home on East 5th Street and the Port Clinton high and middle school campus between 6 and 7 a.m. on December 20. Authorities said they now believe the teen scaled an antenna tower attached to the vacation home and became trapped in the 9-by-13-inch chimney.
Earlier this month, the Lucas County Coroner’s Office determined that Dilly died of compression asphyxia the day of his December 20 disappearance. Police said his death appears to be accidental and they do not suspect foul play.
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[Featured image: Harley Dilly/Port Clinton Police Department]
