The forensic pathologist who examined the body of Durango resident Jeffrey William Davies has ruled that the manner of his death was suicide, but the Durango Police Department is continuing to investigate some anomalies before the case is closed.

Davies, 41, was discovered hanging from a tree in the 400 block of 11th Street by a woman walking her dog on the morning of April 27.

Dr. Robert A. Kurtzman, who conducted the autopsy, said Davies’ blood-alcohol level was 0.275 percent, more than 3½ times the legal limit, and there was evidence he had recently used marijuana. He said Davies had a history of alcohol abuse and thoughts of suicide.

“There were things about the circumstances that were enough out of the norm for a suicide for us to want to investigate it completely,” said Lt. Ray Shupe, public information officer for the police department. “We still have evidence at the (Colorado Bureau of Investigation) waiting to be evaluated and returned.”

Among the things the police are investigating are several abrasions on the body beyond those caused by the hanging. The pathologist ruled that those are consistent with an altercation Davies had with friends earlier.

He “was reportedly intoxicated and aggressive before leaving the group,” Kurtzman wrote in his report. “By report, he got into a fight with one of his close friends just before leaving.”

Shupe said there is no estimate for when the results will be available from the CBI because they are dealing with an extreme backlog of evidence.

“The manner of death may be reclassified if additional conflicting information regarding the circumstances becomes available,” Kurtzman said, acknowledging that the investigation is continuing.

abutler@durangoherald.com