Coroner: Man found dead of overdose in store bathroom
A 36-year old Columbus man was found dead of an accidental drug overdose in the bathroom of a Macon Road store this morning, Muscogee County Coroner Buddy Bryan said.
Employees of the Dollar Tree at 3150 Macon Road opened the store this morning and found Joseph Byrd, 36, dead in the men’s bathroom and called 911.
“He apparently went into the store and into the bathroom, then they closed the store and locked him in,” Bryan said.
Bryan said he got the call at 8 a.m. and found the deceased in the bathroom with unidentified drugs, a needle and a spoon. Bryan pronounced the man dead at 8:45.
“We’re testing the drugs to see what they are,” Bryan said. “But I never have a time frame on when we’ll know that.”
Mike Owen: 706-571-8570, @mikeowenle
This story was originally published December 16, 2016 at 2:12 PM with the headline "Coroner: Man found dead of overdose in store bathroom."