The individual sought by the authorities throughout the previous week, as disclosed by the Tippecanoe County Coroner's office, has purportedly met his demise. This confirmation transpired subsequent to the identification of a lifeless body in Lafayette on Tuesday afternoon.
Alex VanDalsen, a resident of Lafayette aged 21, was discovered lifeless by law enforcement officers in the 2000-block of Breckenridge Street around 1 p.m. on Tuesday, according to entries in the logs of the Lafayette Police Department.
Pride Lafayette, an advocacy group for LGBTQ individuals in Greater Lafayette, initiated a fundraising campaign on Facebook on Wednesday to procure funds for the funeral expenses of VanDalsen. According to information gleaned from his Facebook page, VanDalsen identified as a transgender man.
The solicitation, which had garnered over $3,200 from nearly 100 contributors as of Wednesday evening, can be accessed on Facebook under the page titled "Alexander's Funeral Expenses."
"We were unacquainted with Alex, but we ardently assert that no mother should ever be compelled to inter her progeny," expressed Ashley Smith, the instigator of the fundraising endeavor. "He was a progeny to someone, a sibling to someone, a grandchild to someone."
There is no indication from law enforcement about whether VanDalsen sustained any injuries. An autopsy is slated for Thursday, as per the coroner.
Posthumously, the cause of his demise was determined to be suicide after the completion of an autopsy. Nevertheless, his family contests this conclusion:
On the evening of February 3, 2021, a frigid Indiana night blanketed in snow unfolded. Alex departed his residence on foot shortly before midnight, withholding information about his destination from anyone.
He would not be witnessed alive again. On February 9th, Alex was discovered lifeless. His demise was swiftly classified as a suicide without undergoing a thorough investigation. The family harbors skepticism regarding the suicide narrative for the subsequent reasons:
Gunpowder residue was not examined on Alex's hands.
The firearm discovered beneath his body was not subjected to fingerprint analysis.
Alex was located 10 miles away from his residence, traversing a distance in freezing temperatures of less than 20 degrees, without adequate attire. Moreover, he left behind his vehicle. Given his asthma, the sub-zero temperatures, and the snowfall, a 10-mile trek seems implausible.
No shell casings were found at the site of his demise. How can this be explained?
There was an absence of blood splatter at the location.
Jennifer VanDalsen, Alex's mother, entertains the belief that someone intercepted Alex, perpetrated the act, and subsequently disposed of his remains. However, she posits that law enforcement exhibited reluctance to probe the matter earnestly due to Alex's transgender identity.
The family has implored law enforcement to address their apprehensions surrounding Alex's demise, yet they have been met with silence. Did Alex genuinely take his own life, or did he fall victim to foul play?
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