GRANTHAM — A death at Eastman Pond last week, which authorities had previously described as “suspicious,” has been ruled a suicide.
Grantham Police announced in a Wednesday news release that the body discovered in the water last Friday belonged to an adult male who took his own life, but no further details, including the manner of death, were made public.
The Grantham Police Department initially characterized the death as “suspicious” because the man’s body was in a canoe on the lake, which is unusual, Chief John Parsons said Wednesday by phone.
“No matter how you shake it, this is not normal,” said Parsons. “… It raises your suspicions, ‘Why did this happen? How did this happen?’ “
While environmental factors can hint at a cause of death, it’s not completely certain without autopsy results, Parson said. A deceased person located in a body of water is often associated with drowning, but that was not the case at Eastman Pond.
“That’s why we ultimately wait for the medical examiner to make a determination,” said Parsons.
Eastman Community Association staff noticed an overturned canoe with a body inside it near the dam at the Eastman Pond Boat Launch just before 8 a.m. Friday morning, and contacted police.
Local and state police, firefighters and marine patrol arrived on scene and recovered the body. The boat launch remained closed until the afternoon.
Law enforcement remained on the scene for several hours, with the last units departing around 3:30 p.m. Friday afternoon after New Hampshire Fish and Game conservation officers searched the water. With no additional evidence located, the boat launch reopened.
Parsons noted that Grantham Police immediately informed the community that there was no known threat to the public.
Police may use “unattended death” interchangeably with “suspicious death,” said Parsons. Referring to a death as suspicious can indicate the possibility of foul play could not be ruled out based on a lack of information toward the beginning of an investigation.
The autopsy results came in late Tuesday night, Parsons said. The department has made contact with the family of the victim and the investigation is officially closed.
Those experiencing a mental health crisis can call or text the National Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988 for immediate support.
