Coroner's jury rules on three deaths
PRINCETON — A Bureau County Coroner's jury ruled on the deaths of three Bureau County residents — Brenda Linder of Wyanet, Courtney Denault of Princeton and John Evans of Spring Valley. Bureau County Coroner Janice Wamhoff presided over the hearing.
Brenda Linder
Linder, 48, died April 16, when her vehicle was involved in an accident with a tractor. According to Bureau County Sheriff's Deputy Cliff Morse, Linder, a rural mail carrier who was using a Jeep to deliver the mail, attempted to pass three tractors heading west on 1200 North Avenue. Morse said witnesses told him the first tractor had a left turn signal on to turn south on 1100 East Street. Morse told the jurors Linder didn't see the signal and collided with the first tractor, which had a bucket attached to the front of the machine. Morse also noted the steering wheel and driving mechanism was on the right side of the Linder's Jeep, since she used it to deliver mail.
Wamhoff pronounced Linder dead at 11:32 a.m. from massive trauma to the head and brain. No drugs or alcohol were found in Linder's system.
The jury ruled Linder's death as accidental.
Courtney Denault
Denault, 16, died April 22 in her home. Princeton Police Officer Christopher Erickson testified before the jurors. Erickson said he arrived at Denault's home to find the Princeton girl "pulseless" and not breathing in a closet in her bedroom. He said the family had seen Denault within the last 15 minutes, after she arrived home from school while she was working on the computer. Erickson said a note in Denault's bedroom was found, but he did not elaborate on what the note said. He also said a conversation with a family member revealed Denault was being verbally attacked on MySpace, however, nobody was able to read Denault's MySpace page because they didn't have access to her password.
Wamhoff said Denault's death was due to asphyxiation due to hanging. No alcohol or drugs were found in her system.
The jury ruled Denault's death as a suicide.
John Evans
Evans, 36, died May 3 in his Spring Valley home. Spring Valley Police Sgt. William Sommer said he was off duty but was called to the Evans' home at 11:25 p.m., where he found Evans' body on a bed in his bedroom. His three children, ages 10, 8 and 1, were also in the house and had been unable to wake him throughout the day. Sommer said he saw no evidence of foul play. Wamhoff said family members were called from Springfield to take the children.
Wamhoff said an autopsy revealed an enlarged heart, Toxicology reports showed a "large amount of cocaine and methadone" in Evans' system.
The jury ruled Evans' death as accidental.
