Comer man found dead in Athens motel room; car and companions missing

Athens-Clarke police are investigating the death of a Madison County man who was found dead by a housekeeper in an Athens motel room.

The man’s car is also missing and police said there is evidence that one or two other people were in the room that night.

The body of the 61-year-old Colbert man was taken to the state crime lab for an autopsy. The man has not been identified, but police said they believe they have identified him. Police suspect the death was caused by a drug overdose based on what officers found in the room at the Howard Johnson Hotel on West Broad Street.

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Police were called around noon Wednesday after the housekeeper entered the room and found him partially lying on the bed, the report said. A glass pipe was found next to the man. The report shows other burned glass pipes and liquor bottles were also found. The officer documented that no lighter was found in the room.

Police also found that the man’s car keys, cellphone and wallet, if he had one, were also missing. A car belonging to the man, a 2019 Toyota Camry, was missing, police said.

A check of the registration revealed three names were listed on the room. Police Lt. Jody Thompson said Friday that police were trying to locate the people listed on the room.

It’s not uncommon for people to rent rooms to do drugs, Thompson said. He added that police are considering the possibility of an overdose but are awaiting autopsy results.

Detectives don’t know if his companions left after he died or if he died after they left, Thompson said.