Homeless veteran found dead was a ‘good cop.’ Why the coroner says he deserved more

He was wearing a “Gamecocks” jacket the day he was found dead, lying in a box that the county coroner described as a “storage box.”

“It just broke my heart,” said Lexington County Coroner Margaret Fisher, in an interview with WIS 10. “When you give up your life and your family and everything that you have to go out and serve your country, they deserve everything that they need when they get back.”

But no one has claimed the body of 69-year-old Dennis E. Reidy, who was found Jan. 23 in a wooded area off Chariot Street in Lexington County.

Fisher said an autopsy performed Wednesday revealed Reidy died of natural circumstances. At the time, she identified Reidy as a homeless U.S. veteran, who “appeared to have been staying in a makeshift shelter in the wooded area where he was discovered.”

WIS 10 reported that Reidy was also a former sheriff’s deputy, who once worked with Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott. Reidy was a “good man and a good cop,” said Lott, adding he had “no idea” Reidy needed help.

According to Fisher, the American Legion Post 193 and Fort Jackson National Cemetery have been assisting with funeral service arrangements for Reidy. The service hasn’t been scheduled; however, the date will be released when available and all who would like are welcome to attend.

The Patriot Guard Riders, along with other groups, will be present to honor Reidy’s life and service to our country, Fisher said.

If anyone would like to make a donation in Reidy’s memory, Fisher said the Patriot Guard Riders, the American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars, and several other organizations dedicated to assisting and remembering U.S. Veterans will gratefully accept donations.

This story was originally published January 29, 2018 at 12:12 PM with the headline "Homeless veteran found dead was a ‘good cop.’ Why the coroner says he deserved more."