Death ruled homicide by heart attack

Photo

Kevin Gadley

By Ed Runyan

runyan@vindy.com

WARREN

The death of Kevin Gadley, 36, of Newton Falls has been ruled homicide by heart attack, leaving police and prosecutors to determine whether anyone should face criminal charges.

Dr. Humphrey Germaniuk, Trumbull County coroner, said homicide by heart attack is a diagnosis that means the patient suffered a heart attack as a result of stress placed on a damaged heart by a confrontation with another person.

Gadley, of East Broad Street, was about 5 feet 9 inches tall, weighed about 280 pounds and was “moderately obese,” Dr. Germaniuk said.

Gadley was found unresponsive in the Paradise Bar, 2261 N. Park Ave., late Feb. 3 after a fight with the bar’s bouncer and another man.

Gadley had some swelling and a small cut above one eye and blood on his knuckles, police said. He was pronounced dead later at Trumbull Memorial Hospital.

Gadley’s heart was enlarged, it had an enlarged left chamber, and Gadley had severe coronary heart disease involving one of the major coronary arteries, Dr. Germaniuk said.

There was no record that Gadley knew he had these heart conditions, even though they were serious enough to possibly indicate the need for a heart transplant, the coroner said.

Dr. Germaniuk confirmed that Gadley had contusions and bruises on his face but said those were not severe enough to have caused death. Gadley’s blood contained alcohol above the legal limit, Dr. Germaniuk said, noting that alcohol contributes to heart problems.

Warren Police Sgt. Jeff Cole said the department learned of Dr. Germaniuk’s diagnosis Monday. Detective Wayne Mackey will be talking with the Trumbull County prosecutor’s office today about whether criminal charges will be filed.

Witnesses said Gadley went to the floor during a struggle with the bar’s bouncer, according to a police report.

Scott Morrison, the bar’s disc jockey, told police that Gadley, who formerly worked as bouncer at the bar, “was trying to pick a fight with [the current bouncer] and was ‘bumping’ him with his stomach,” which resulted in punches being thrown, the report states.

A third man also intervened, grabbing Gadley. The third man and Gadley fell to the floor together, and Gadley didn’t get up, police said.

A witness said Gadley had been lying in a semifetal position on the floor of the bar for about 30 minutes when police arrived at 11:40 p.m. Bar patrons assumed he was passed out from the fight or from drinking, police said.

A bartender said she refused to serve Gadley when he came into the bar several hours before the fight because he was intoxicated.