Two men from Hunnell Road homeless camp added to list of Oregon’s 95 heat-related deaths

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Two men who died last Sunday at the Hunnell Road homeless camp in northern Bend were added Friday to the state medical examiner's rising tally of 95 apparent heat-related deaths due to the recent heat wave.

Advocates for the homeless had said at the time that the two men, ages 60 and 64, apparently died of heat-related causes. Police and the city of Bend, later joined by Deschutes County District Attorney John Hummel, only would say the medical examiner's office was investigating and that there were no signs of foul play or any crime being committed.

Police and the city also did not release the men's names when the deaths were announced earlier this week, citing a request by the families for privacy, but Hummel did so in the following statement, issued Tuesday:

Deschutes County District Attorney John Hummel reviewed the recent deaths of two residents of Hunnell Road in Bend and agrees with the investigating law enforcement officers and the Deschutes County Medical Examiner that the deaths were not homicides.  The specific manner and cause of the deaths will be determined by the Medical Examiner – this announcement is made to inform the public that no crimes were committed in relationship to these deaths. 

The deceased are 60-year-old- Bend resident Alonzo Boardman and 64-year-old Bend resident Joseph Davis.  Joseph and Alonzo’s families have been notified of their passing.

Statement from District Attorney Hummel:

“June 27^th was a sad day for our community: we lost Joseph Davis and Alonzo Boardman.  Joseph and Alonzo were our neighbors, they were loved by their family and friends, and they will be missed. 

Our community needs to decide whether we embrace and welcome all our neighbors, or whether, instead, we want to pick and choose who is worthy to live among us.  I vote for welcoming everyone, and I trust my neighbors do too.

If we truly do welcome everyone, then let’s pull together to make our community as welcoming as we want it to be. This includes committing resources, i.e. money, to develop safe, healthy, and humane places for all of us to sleep.  I don’t want to have another Sunday like June 27^th.”

Here's the updated list issued Friday by Oregon State Police and the State Medical Examiner's Office of counties and ages of the 95 deaths related to the recent heat wave:

This information may change in either direction as investigations are updated and new information is added by the county medical examiners, OSP said earlier this week. These are preliminary numbers as some investigations are still in progress and final causes of death have not yet been determined.