Homeless man dies in Bonne Terre yard

BONNE TERRE – A 52-year-old homeless man collapsed and died in a yard in Bonne Terre Wednesday afternoon after apparently suffering a massive heart attack.

Bonne Terre Police Chief Doug Calvert said a “Good Samaritan” passerby saw a person down in a yard in the 200 block of South Allen near the Post Office at about 4:30 p.m. The passerby started CPR.

Others who stopped to help called 911 for the unresponsive man.

The man was taken by ambulance to Parkland Health Center where he was pronounced dead.

Calvert said the man had been staying at the Shared Blessings homeless shelter in Bonne Terre since Aug. 28. Before that, the man had been staying in St. Louis but he is originally from South Carolina. Police are trying to contact his family.

He said the man was apparently walking back to the shelter.

Calvert said the death is under investigation but there is nothing to indicate foul play. “There were no signs of trauma to the man’s body,” he said.

He said preliminary toxicology results showed nothing and it is believed the man had a massive heart attack.