Police are investigating why a number of personal articles were stashed in the ceiling of Sanford Hall. Photo by Holt Menzies

by JULIANNE OLSON
Intern News Reporter

Appalachian State University English graduate assistant Brian C. Wilson found two men’s jackets and a lantern hanging down from the second floor men’s bathroom ceiling in Sanford Hall Nov. 9 at 8 a.m., James Ivory, interim English chairperson said.

After the discovery of the jackets, Gina Kelly, Sanford Hall receptionist, called University Police around 4 p.m. so they could further investigate the scene.

“We did not feel threatened by the situation,” Kelly said. “We just wanted an authority to deal with it.”

University Police found a prescription document, a cell phone without a battery, a brown bag containing a beer, a backpack, a bike helmet, bottles of Sprite, reading glasses, sunglasses and a communications textbook.

“We did not find a living person, just a lot of personal items stored in the corner of the ceiling,” Lt. Todd Corley said.

Photo by Holt Menzies

All items were gathered by University Police and put into a garbage bag to be preserved for evidence.

“We cannot confirm that someone was living up there, but it certainly struck us as odd,” Ivory said.

Corley said the prescription document included a name, which has been researched to find a home address. Based on University Police research, the last known address for this person has not been inhabited since 2006.

“We are currently trying to locate this person so we can further question him, but we still do not know if the name on the document is necessarily the owner of the belongings we found in the ceiling,” Corley said. “Until we locate this gentleman, there is no certain information.”

Photos by Holt Menzies  |  Chief Photographer

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