Mystery Surrounds Man's Death After He Suffered Head Injury Following a Dave Matthews Band Concert
Police are desperate for answers after a man mysteriously died as a result of a head injury he sustained following a Dave Matthews Band concert in Missouri.
On May 15, Jasen Smith, 44, and his wife Darcy were getting ready to leave Hollywood Casino Amphitheater when Darcy realized she had misplaced her souvenir t-shirt, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
Jasen then decided to go back and search the venue for it.
After some time had passed, Darcy realized her husband had not yet returned, so she decided to give him a call at around 11:10 p.m., according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and News Tribune.
On the other end of the phone, Darcy heard the voice of a paramedic, prompting her to rush to Jasen’s side. She found him unconscious and bleeding from his ear, the publication reported.
Jasen was later rushed to a DePaul Hospital in Bridgeton, where he died the following day.
It was revealed that Jasen died after suffering a blunt force injury to the back of his head that fractured his skull. He also sustained a cut to his lip, family attorney Chip Gentry told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
At this time, police are urging anyone who may have seen what happened to come forward.
They are also looking for an individual, who alerted the venue’s security that a man was lying on a concrete pathway between the lawn and the seats, Maryland Heights police said in a press release on Wednesday.
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“Our ongoing investigation has determined that a person, described as a white male in his late 20’s, may have witnessed the victim fall to the pavement. This person summoned a security guard and stated he saw the injured man and that his injuries were very serious,” police said in the release.
“Also, this person told the security guard that he was in the medical field, and that is why he felt the injuries were very serious.”
At this time, the incident is being investigated as “a suspicious death.”
“Right now we’re just trying to find out: Was it an accident? Was it nefarious? Was it foul play? We don’t know and we’re keeping all options open,” Maryland Heights Detective Sgt. Rich White told St. Louis Post-Dispatch
“The family wants answers, and we do, too,” White said. “We’re trying to think out of the box, every which way we can to determine what caused this man’s death,” White told the publication.
Gentry explained to St. Louis Post-Dispatch that the family is completely “devastated.”
If you have any information, please contact Maryland Heights Police Department 314-298-8700. pic.twitter.com/BBD3JvtnNU
— Maryland Heights PD (@MHPolice) May 17, 2019
Additional Information About The Suspicious Death at Hollywood Casino Amphitheater that occurred on May 15, 2019 pic.twitter.com/MEC1TxsrBT
— Maryland Heights PD (@MHPolice) May 22, 2019
“You can’t fathom going to a Dave Matthews Band concert on a Wednesday evening and being struck by something, which cost you your life. We will certainly dig deep to hold those responsible accountable.”
Jasen is survived by his wife and 10-year-old twin sons Ronnie and Frankie.
“He was a great businessman and father to his twin boys. He ran a really neat car lot in town that specialized in custom trucks,” Gentry told the outlet.
Members of Jasen’s family, as well as his friends, gathered on Monday for his memorial.
“There were 1,000 people at his memorial service. He had a good reputation and a lot of friend,” Gentry told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Gentry did not respond to PEOPLE’s request to comment.
