The Leitchfield Police Department has released further information on a death investigation that began Wednesday night on West Walnut Street.
LPD Detective Kevin Smith said the “Investigation determined that Joseph Meredith, 39, of Leitchfield, had fallen and suffered a head injury which resulted in his death.”
Meredith was found unresponsive in the yard of his West Walnut Street home Wednesday night at 5:35. He was pronounced dead by the Grayson County Coroner’s Office.
Smith attended Meredith’s autopsy, which was conducted Thursday morning at the state Medical Examiner’s Office in Louisville.
Late Wednesday afternoon and into Wednesday night, Leitchfield police blocked traffic on West Walnut Street and a section of Sunbeam Road as Smith and state police began their investigation. Crime scene tape was put up from the residence to the roadway as LPD diverted traffic around the scene.
In what could be a related incident, according to multiple sources, Meredith arrived on foot at T & T Construction, at 4735 Lilac Road, Wednesday morning at approximately 10:00, about seven-and-a-half hours before he was found deceased. He was wearing shorts and a shirt with no socks or shoes on and was “soaking wet.” The temperature at the time was about 38 degrees.
Meredith had a large gash in is head with his head covered in blood, sources said. It’s unclear how Meredith suffered the head injury. He said he was looking for ponds to swim in and was walking to the Leitchfield Water Treatment Plant, in the 3200 block of Lewis School Road, just over three miles from T & T Construction.
Grayson County EMS and Leitchfield police were summoned to the scene, with Meredith entering the ambulance under his own power. It’s unclear at this point what type of treatment he received.
(UPDATE: K105 has confirmed that Meredith was transported by EMS to Owensboro Health Twin Lakes Medical Center)
Kentucky State Police assisted with the investigation.
By Ken Howlett, News Director
Contact Ken at ken@k105.com
