March 18, 2005

Missing man is found dead in an abandoned house

by Eric Resnick

Youngstown--Police are investigating the death of a missing gay man as a homicide after he was discovered in an abandoned house.

Chad Clinkscale, 33, was found dead at the bottom of the basement stairs in the Liberty Road house on February 15. He was found by Roy White, a homeless man who was in the house to scavenge.

Clinkscale had been missing for 20 days.

White called police, who arrived to find, according to their reports, �a male black subject lying on his back in a curled position at the base of the steps . . . The subject had no shoes on.�

Youngstown Police spokesperson Lt. Robin Lees said that the time of Clinkscale�s death is unknown, though it had been �some time� before he was found.

It was another three days before the victim was identified as Clinkscale.

According to his cousin T.J. Williams, Clinkscale was a resident of nearby Austintown who disappeared January 26.

Williams, who now lives in Chicago, is a former Youngstown resident and activist for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender people and people with AIDS.

He said Clinkscale was seen after he disappeared at Mixx, a Youngstown gay bar. Police did not confirm this.

Williams said Clinkscale was HIV-positive and working as a cosmetologist.

Lees said the coroner�s report is not finished, and the cause of death has not been officially determined.

Police are treating the case as a homicide. Currently, there is no reason to suspect it is a hate crime.

Lees said police are following some leads, but there are no suspects.

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