Every year, people living homeless in Durango die on the streets, in city parks or within the camps they call home.
Their deaths, more than any population in town, are visible because most of their lives are spent outside or in public places. And in many cases, they create a sometimes monumental task for local authorities in finding family and conducting burial services.
“It’s difficult,” said La Plata County Coroner Jann Smith. “Almost every time, the body ends up being an ‘abandoned body.’ We usually just don’t know much about them.”
When a homeless person dies outside, law enforcement becomes involved, which triggers the involvement of the Coroner’s Office.
On average, the deaths of about eight to 10 people living homeless in and around Durango are reported to law enforcement annually, Smith said. As of October, five people who were part of the homeless community had died in 2019, she said, but the family of one of those men insists he was not homeless.
If family members can’t be reached, or if they can’t afford funeral services, the body becomes “abandoned,” Smith said. The Coroner’s Office will hold onto the body for 30 days, after which time it is cremated and stored at Hood Mortuary.
“I just feel bad for them,” she said. “A majority of the time, we don’t find next of kin, or they don’t come forward.”
In Denver, a vigil is held every year in December to remember the people experiencing homelessness who have died on the streets, said Cathy Alderman, a spokeswoman with Colorado Coalition for the Homeless.
“We read the names of the people we know and share stories,” she said.
Ann Morse, executive director at Manna soup kitchen, said a moment of silence is held before lunch if a member of the homeless community has died.
Alderman said a reoccurring theme is drug and substance abuse.
“People are self-medicating, trying to numb the experience of sleeping outside, which oftentimes comes with physical or mental health issues not properly addressed,” she said. “We’re letting people die out on the streets, rather than providing housing and shelter.”
The Durango Herald is attempting to tell the stories of those who have died this year while living homeless in La Plata County. More is known about some of the men than others. Their stories are told through public records, interviews with public officials and, in some cases, friends or acquaintances. When possible, we spoke with family members of the deceased. Some families chose not to comment.
Richard BodellRichard Bodell had lived in the forests around Vallecito Reservoir for more than a decade, and he was as much a part of the community as anyone else, locals say.
But on April 24, Bodell was found dead lying under a tree. Authorities later determined he died of a naturally caused heart attack. Smith said no alcohol or drugs were found in the 56-year-old’s system.
Bob Tate, an elder with the Vallecito Baptist Church, knew Bodell for the past three years.
He said Bodell would stay in Vallecito from around May to October, when the weather is suitable for tent camping. During the winter months, Bodell would go to a church in Pagosa Springs , which has a facility for people without a home to stay when it’s too cold to sleep outside.
People in Vallecito trusted Bodell, Tate said. Last winter, for example, a property owner let him stay in a vacant cabin for more than two months. And it wasn’t rare for others to offer Bodell the same.
Tate got to know Bodell through the Vallecito Baptist Church, where Tate teaches adult Bible classes. Bodell was there most every Sunday, Tate said.
“I’ve dealt with homeless people through church for 40 years, and Richard was different,” he said. “He was well-read. He knew Hebrew terms. He was willing to work. He gained a lot of respect in the community.”
Bodell would take odd jobs around Vallecito. He’d hitch rides to the Bayfield library to read. And he was always willing to lend a helping hand.
But no one quite knew Bodell’s backstory, Tate said. He was secretive and told differing stories – that he was from London (he had a British accent) or that he fought in the Vietnam War (though he was too young to serve). And no one really knows how he ended up homeless or in Vallecito.
“There was no doubt that in good weather, with the choice of a cabin or the woods, he’d chose woods,” Tate said. “It was sad he died alone out in the forest, but I think he wouldn’t mind. That’s where he liked to be.”
No family stepped forward after Bodell’s passing, Tate said. Members of the Vallecito Baptist Church held a funeral service, spreading his ashes in the woods of Vallecito he called home.
“We all miss him,” Tate said. “Everyone liked him and accepted him for who he was.”
Alfred JamesFriends aren’t quite sure how Alfred James ended up homeless in Durango.
Lorenzo Yellowman, a friend who also lives homeless in Durango, said James was quiet and generally kept to himself. Yellowman was not sure what led James to homelessness, but said it could have stemmed from problems within his family.
“He wouldn’t go home,” Yellowman said. “And I don’t think he had anywhere else to go.”
Smith said James was from Arizona but had lived homeless around Durango for a couple of years.
On Feb. 20, authorities say James had drank an excessive amount of alcohol and overdosed – his blood alcohol content was 0.486 – then passed out in the middle of winter when temperatures hovered around 15 degrees.
James was found dead on the morning of Feb. 21, lying on the ground on the edge of the gazebo at Iris Park. He was 57.
Police found him in a sleeping bag, covered by a dusting of snow.
“When you drink, your system closes down, and I guess he just overdid it,” Yellowman said.
Authorities were able to contact his family, who took care of funeral proceedings. James’ family declined to be interviewed for this story.
According to an obituary, James was born June 14, 1961, in Monument Valley, Utah. A funeral service was held for him March 1 at the Assembly of God Church in Dennehotso, Arizona.
Ferlando JamesInformation about Ferlando James is hard to come by, Smith said.
James (no relation to Alfred) was found dead June 21 at age 32 in a stairwell of a business in the 500 block of Main Avenue in downtown Durango after a friend notified police upon finding his body. Authorities determined James overdid it on alcohol – his blood alcohol level was 0.350.
Police records on James’ death were denied because the case remains active. Smith said his body showed no signs of trauma.
Smith said James has family in Farmington, who arranged to care for his funeral proceedings. Attempts to reach the family for this story were unsuccessful.
Richard MarchettiRichard Marchetti had a happy childhood, said his younger brother, Robin.
The family moved between California and Florida. His dad worked as a bricklayer, his mom stayed at home raising the kids.
“We come from a real close family,” said Robin, who lives in Florida. “He was a happy kid.”
Marchetti went to work when he was 15 years old, and throughout his adult life, he was always a hard-worker and held a job, Robin said.
But a series of tragic events hit Marchetti – his older brother died in 2016, his mom died in 2017 and then his father died in 2018.
Marchetti had been living in Durango off and on since 2011. When his mother got sick, he wasn’t able to leave work to visit her before she died.
“He took that kind of hard,” Robin said. “He never went back to work.”
Marchetti started drinking and using drugs, eventually ending up on the streets. Marchetti’s family knew he was living homeless, but he refused offers to come home.
Gordon Anunziato, a friend who is also homeless, said Marchetti talked about the pain he felt over the deaths in his family.
“We were good friends and helped one another,” he said. “He was an awesome dude ... but he was slowly killing himself.”
The last time Robin talked to his brother was three weeks before he died. Robin said he was aware his brother was sick from several health ailments and was drinking on top of that to ease the pain.
On Aug. 15, Marchetti, 61, was found dead behind a building adjacent to the Herald offices in the 1200 block of Main Avenue. Smith said Marchetti died from liver cirrhosis, a result of years of heavy drinking. He left behind two daughters.
“Sometimes, he was hard to be around, but he was always a good-hearted person,” Robin said. “He’d do anything for you.”
Marchetti’s remains were cremated and sent back to his family in Florida, Smith said.
jromeo@durangoherald.com
