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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend November 5, 2005 Ashland death ruled accidental By JENNIFER SQUIRES for the Mail Tribune ASHLAND — A 26-year-old man found dead in downtown Ashland died an accidental death, likely the result of excessive drinking on Halloween, police said Friday. Steven A. Burkemper, whom friends described as "a very good person," moved to Ashland in late September to attend Rogue Community College. Eventually, he wanted to study theater at Southern Oregon University. But early on Halloween night after drinking alcohol with friends, the young man became incapacitated in a narrow breezeway between Trinity Episcopal Church and US Bank in downtown Ashland. A pedestrian noticed he hadn’t moved for some time, discovered he was dead and called police early Wednesday morning. "The manner of death is accidental," Ashland police Detective Randy Snow said. "Basically, he caused himself to choke on his own vomit." Burkemper, who was originally from St. Louis, Mo., had gone downtown with two friends after hanging around his apartment on Terra Avenue. Advertisement "He was here Halloween night," said Steve Croot, 42, who shared a kitchen with Burkemper. "He was in and out a couple of times." The trio headed downtown for the Halloween festivities, stopping to drink in the narrow gravel walkway between the bank and the church on North Second Street. "We have him out with a couple of friends for about an hour," Snow said. "They went their own way and he stayed." The friends left Burkemper sometime before 10 p.m. on Halloween. A passer-by noticed Burkemper around 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, but didn’t recognize him as a person, police said. The person decided to take a closer look and discovered Burkemper’s body against the church in a seated position. There was no indication of a struggle. "This was just a total accident," Snow said. "He seems to be a very good-natured young man who wouldn’t harm a fly." Police found alcohol in the alley, but Burkemper’s alcohol level at the time of his death isn’t known. There is no indication he used any other drugs on Halloween night. Co-workers at Goodwill Industries in Medford where Burkemper worked remember him as kind and hard-working. "He was very respectful, a very good person," Sandy Layman, the operations manager at Goodwill. Burkemper was in his first term at RCC. He had previously lived on the Oregon coast and in California. Jennifer Squires is a reporter for the Ashland Daily Tidings. She can be reached at 482-3456 or [email protected]. Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker dvd-r Distance Education Computer Security Ztech Media Hosting Sports Equipment Online Casino Reviews Student Loans tcg student loan consolidation Online Pharmacy online casino Myspace Home Equity Loans Windermere Van Vleet Rogue Valley Travel Reservationstogo Hotel Reservations Southern Oregon Loans Online Casino News Natto Kinase Nattokinase Casino Gambling Sites Budget Website Templates Investments & Loans Advertisement s