After an extensive investigation, the Cook County Medical Examiner’s Office has not been able to clarify the circumstances surrounding the death of a 32-year-old man discovered in the stairwell of his Lakeview apartment building in October.
The office’s recent findings indicate that Nolan Hart died due to multiple blunt force injuries, but the investigators could not establish the manner of his death, whether it was accidental, homicide, suicide, or natural.
On the morning of October 27, just before 9 a.m., police responded to Hart’s apartment building on the 500 block of West Addison Street. They were assisting a maintenance worker who believed Hart was sleeping in the stairwell and was unresponsive, according to dispatch audio.
An officer observed dried blood on Hart’s head and backpack and called for an ambulance. The Chicago Police Department stated that Hart was pronounced dead at the scene. An investigation was initiated to determine if Hart had fallen or been harmed by another individual.
Hart’s family and friends have actively worked to raise awareness about the police investigation, distributing flyers and garnering widespread media attention.
A flyer in the Lakeview neighborhood expressed the family’s suspicion that Hart was murdered near the 500 block of West Addison between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. on October 26. They requested neighbors to review any video footage from that timeframe for possible evidence to assist the police.
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Tim Hecke is CWBChicago’s managing partner. He started his career at KMOX, the legendary news radio station in St. Louis. From there, he moved on to work at stations in Minneapolis, Chicago, and New York City. Tim went on to build syndicated radio news and content services that served every one of America’s 100 largest radio markets. He became CWBChicago’s managing partner in 2019.
His email address is tim@cwbchicago.com

