CULLMAN – Shortly after 1:30 p.m. on Christmas Day, officers with the Cullman Police Department responded to a call of deceased man in a wooded area off West Main Ave.
Joel Robert Adcock Jr., 53, of Vinemont, was found in a wooded area between Lessman St. and Graham St. by a juvenile who was testing out his new air rifle during the early stages of Christmas Day.
“A juvenile male did find Mr. Adcock’s body in the wooded area off of West Main Ave, but we are not releasing his name or age,” CPD Assistant Chief Craig Green said. “The juvenile was testing out his bb gun when he made the discovery.”
The boy immediately told his parents, who in turn notified the police department. Green said the death appears to be an accidental overdose.
“We want to be respectful to the family, friends and people who knew him, but what we believe happened is that he had an accidental overdose,” Green said. “Found around him, are things we believe will turn out to be the cause of his death, which may be accidental, but it led to an overdose.”
Green said a total of four cans of compressed air were found around Adcock’s body when officers arrived to the scene.
“What we believe is that he was taking the canned air and was huffing that,” he said. “I say that because right at his head was one can, and around him were three additional, so four total cans were found right around him.”
Green said there were no indications of foul play, stating “there were no markings, signs of struggle, bullet wounds or cuts,” and that “only the canned air” was found at the scene.
