Man Found in Maumee River in Toledo; Family Seeks Answers and Help With Funeral Costs

Relatives have identified the man whose body Toledo fire crews recovered from the Maumee River on Thursday as David Edward Skiles, 49. Officials in Toledo say they do not yet know how Skiles got into the river, the investigation is continuing, and no cause of death has been determined.

His sister, Tabitha Ilsley, told reporters Skiles frequently walked near that stretch of water and that she saw him on Saturday night, when he asked her to visit a casino and she said no. Early Sunday morning he rang their mother from another person’s phone — Ilsley said he called every night — and the family did not hear from him after that.

“We don’t know what happened… like, we don’t have answers or nothing,” Ilsley said. His father, Charles Skiles, is grieving a second son lost in three years, and the family has opened a GoFundMe because it cannot easily afford funeral expenses. They hope to place a small memorial near the water.

For investigators in Stockton and San Joaquin County, cases that begin with a body recovered from the water follow the same disciplines as in Toledo: secure and document the recovery site, gather physical evidence, and wait on the medical examiner before drawing conclusions about how a death happened.

Source: Body of David Edward Skiles found in Maumee River in Toledo — Glass City Ledger (glasscityledger.com)