MEDINA: Authorities still won’t say how Lafayette Township trustee Bryon Macron died, even after releasing autopsy reports that show he had a serious gash on his neck and skin-deep cuts on his forearms.
“It would be inappropriate to draw any conclusions beyond this factual report,” Medina County Prosecutor S. Forrest Thompson told reporters Thursday. “It would be disrespectful to the family to say more.”
But a local crime expert told the Beacon Journal that the wounds and details published by the media suggest Macron, 45, an elected trustee, was killed by at least two people he knew and that he tried to defend himself.
The wounds were detailed in a several-page preliminary report of the autopsy performed on Macron’s body. Thompson on Thursday allowed journalists to view the report after months of refusals, even though a state law grants access for news reporters and no one else. The law, however, forbids journalists from making copies of the report or taking notes about its contents.
Thompson only agreed to release the report after Cleveland news station WKYC filed a lawsuit to gain access.
During an interview, Thompson took issue with reporters describing Macron’s death as a crime. He said there’s nothing to suggest foul play just yet.
“What we have is a death — a tragic death,” he said. “To call it murder is premature. To call it suicide is premature.”
Thompson did say, though, that Macron’s death appears to be an “isolated incident,” so the public should not fear for its safety. He didn’t elaborate.
An upcoming final autopsy report will list the official cause of Macron’s death. It’s unclear when the report will be completed.
The body of Macron, who worked as a wholesale jewelry salesman, was pulled out of Chippewa Lake in late February after months of speculation about his whereabouts.
In mid-December, authorities found blood at the township hall in Macron’s disheveled office and in his vehicle, which was parked next to Chippewa Lake about 3 miles away. But Macron was nowhere to be found.
His disappearance fueled wild speculation, and even garnered national attention. When a kayaker happened upon the body two months later, some questions were answered while others were raised.
Namely, what happened to Bryon Macron?
Clues from autopsy
Authorities have been close-mouthed about the investigation from the beginning — and they still won’t share much — but the autopsy reports provide some clues.
The report showed Macron was wounded six times. He had a long, gaping cut on the right side of his neck and a smaller, superficial cut on his neck’s left side. The more serious neck wound came close to damaging his jugular vein. He also had three cuts on his forearms — two on his left and one on his right — and a wound on his left shoulder.
The report did not specify what kind of weapon was suspected.
The report noted that no water was found in his airway, and no mud or other substances were found in his mouth. There were also no signs of blunt force trauma.
The possible causes of Macron’s death include blood loss, drowning and hypothermia, according to the report.
Theory on death
The prosecutor said Macron’s wounds weren’t enough to suspect foul play. But local crime expert Tim Dimoff said Thursday that he believes Macron was killed.
Dimoff, a former Akron police officer who runs SACS Consulting and Investigative Services, said Macron’s injuries and media reports paint a picture.
Though Dimoff wasn’t privy to the investigation, he guessed Macron met with at least two people at his office to settle a matter of some sort, such as an ongoing dispute.
“What it tells me,” he said, “is someone met with him not to kill him, but to talk to him about something sensitive, and that discussion got out of hand.”
Authorities have said Macron left his home early the day he disappeared — though they refuse to say what time — and his office was found in disarray about 7:30 a.m.
Dimoff, who was honored in 1989 as Ohio’s “Police Officer of Year” by the attorney general’s office, said his theory is supported by the few details authorities have released.
“He’s not going to meet these people in these wee hours unless he knew them and he had ongoing contact with them,” he said. “If they were planning to kill him, they wouldn’t do it at his office.”
He explained that the wounds on Macron’s forearms are indicative of defending himself from an attack by someone wielding an edged weapon.
“Any time you have an aggressive attack that involves an edged weapon like a knife, obviously the person attacking is trying to cut and stab and kill someone,” Dimoff said. “It’s very common and a natural reaction to prevent serious injuries for someone to put their arms up in what we call ‘defensive mode.’ ”
Public records requested by the Beacon Journal showed the township replaced the carpet and repainted the walls and ceiling in Macron’s office after his disappearance. Dimoff said that’s likely because of blood spatter.
“If he’s been cut on his arms and he’s struggling with this person,” he said, “there’s going to be blood flying around.”
Dimoff believed Macron’s death was the work of at least two people because he had to be moved after the alleged attack.
He guessed one of the attackers drove Macron’s vehicle to the lake while the other followed in a separate vehicle. Then, he theorized, they dropped his body in the lake and drove off, leaving his vehicle behind.
Members of the public have made similar suggestions. The prosecutor said Thursday that it wasn’t his responsibility to share what he knows because it could compromise the investigation.
“The public interest is important,” he said, “but the integrity of the investigation, in my opinion, is more important.”
Thompson went on to criticize the media for the widespread coverage of Macron’s death.
“I think it’s more incumbent upon the media to report it accurately and without trying to jump to conclusions,” he said, “than it is for public officials who have information to decide what is and isn’t beneficial to the community to quash a rumor.”
Nick Glunt can be reached at 330-996-3565 or nglunt@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @NickGluntABJ and on Facebook @JournoNickGlunt .