Hypothermia contributed to death of teen found dead in Mercer County stairwell, coroner says
SHARON, Pa. (KDKA) -- Hypothermia is believed to be a contributing factor in the death of a 16-year-old boy found in a stairwell in Mercer County, the coroner said in an update on Tuesday.
The Mercer County Coroner's Office and the City of Sharon Police Department have been investigating the death of a teenager who was found dead in Sharon early Sunday afternoon.
Officials say he was pronounced dead in an outside stairwell on North Irvine Avenue just before 1:30 p.m. He was later identified as 16-year-old Zachariah Croom of Youngstown, Ohio.
Between a forensic autopsy completed Tuesday and an investigation by Sharon police, the coroner's office says there's no suspicion of foul play or "that the death of Mr. Croom was due to the direct act or action of another party." However, the coroner's office says hypothermia is expected to be a contributing factor in his death.
Officials say more forensic testing will be needed to determine Croom's cause and manner of death. It'll take an estimated six to eight weeks to obtain the results, the coroner's office says.
No other new information was available on Tuesday.
Anyone with information regarding Croom's death is urged to call the Sharon Police Department at 724-983-3210 or through the Mercer County Emergency Management Agency's non-emergency number, 724-662-6110.
