CLEVELAND (WJW) – Private investigators and family members of a 22-year-old man, who died in 2014 at Progressive Field, believe they have new information on the case, and are pushing for the manner of his death to be changed from undetermined to homicide.
“We believe it's a homicide based on some information we received during our investigation,” Dick Wrenn, a retired FBI agent, who is now a private investigator with the International Research Group told the Fox 8 I-Team. “We have provided some new information to the coroner relating to some individuals we have an interest in that we think is well worth police consideration."
On July 18, 2014, Cory Barron of Fremont went to a Jason Aldean concert at Progressive Field in Cleveland with his sister, brother and some friends. He was last seen alive around 9:30 that night. His body was found a few days later in a landfill in Lorain County.
Cleveland police investigated the case. Detectives closed it a year later, after city prosecutors ruled there was insufficient evidence that a criminal offense occurred. Police saying at the time they believed Barron died after falling down a garbage chute.
According to the Lorain County Coroner’s autopsy report, the cause of death was “multiple blunt impacts to the head, trunk and extremities due to fall down trash chute into enclosed dumpster,” and the manner of death was undetermined.
Lorain County Coroner Frank Miller says he would need more information before changing the manner of the death.
Wrenn said investigators would like for either Cleveland police or the state’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation Cold Case Unit to take a look at the case.
BCI officials say in order for them to look at the case they need to be asked by Cleveland police detectives, since they were the original lead agency investigating Barron’s death.
“There is more that needs to be looked at here,” Wrenn said. “We have developed new information since the last time Cleveland police had this case. We really believe someone should take a new look at this.”
The autopsy report shows Cory suffered injuries prior to his death. And a source has told investigators that he witnessed some men allegedly “urinating and spitting" at people in the section where Cory was last seen alive. The source, who passed a polygraph test, told investigators the people that appeared to be “urinating and spitting” left their seats right around the time Cory went missing. They returned a short time later, gathered up their belongings and left.
“They left right when Jason Aldean was getting ready to perform,” Wrenn said. “We think that’s an unusual time for them to leave.”
Investigators identified the persons of interest and asked them for an interview and asked if they would be willing to be polygraphed, they refused.
“There is no reason to believe Cory Barron , who has no history of mental or emotional problems would have put himself in a garbage chute for any reason,” Wrenn said.
Cory’s father, Matt, tells the I-Team they won’t give up until they get justice for Cory and find out exactly what happened.
“The circumstances of this don't add up,” Matt Barron told the I-Team. “I don’t believe it was just an accident.”
Anyone with information on this case is asked to email IRG investigators at rnr@IRGglobal.com or call CrimeStoppers of Cuyahoga County at 216-252-7463.