Sources: Prominent Psychiatrist Found Dead In Center City Hotel Room
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — Police are investigating the death of a man they say was found with a belt wrapped tightly around his neck in a Center City hotel.
A police spokeswoman said officers were called to the Rodeway Inn, located on Walnut Street near 12th Street, just before noon Monday after the 75-year-old victim was found face-up on the floor.
Authorities say Dr. Howard Baker was pronounced dead at the scene.
Sources close to the investigation tell Eyewitness News that Baker was a prominent psychiatrist with an office in the area.
Initially, authorities believed the death could have been a case of auto-erotic asphyxiation- where someone accidentally strangles him or herself during a sex act- but homicide detectives were eventually called in to investigate.
No official motive has been released, though police sources say it appears this could have been the result of a robbery.
"I knew if the news cameras were at the Rodeway Inn, it wasn't going to be for something good, you know," Dan Minillo says.
Minillo is visiting Philly from Scranton, staying at this very hotel, and says everyone is staying very quiet about what happened here inside one of the rooms.
"We came into the hotel, got here and there are all these news cameras, so obviously something and the lady at the front desk acted as if she didn't know anything," Minillo explained.
David Fineman works at the adjoining restaurant and says such a crime is often not seen here.
"It's surprising in this neighborhood," Fineman says.