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Subscribe to RSSThe discovery of a man's body in the stable area of Churchill Downs was being investigated as a homicide. Msnbc's Alex Witt reports.
Updated at 11:53 p.m. ET: LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Foul play is suspected in the death of a man whose body was found in a barn behind Churchill Downs just hours after the Kentucky Derby was run at the track.
Police have ruled the death a homicide, Louisville Metro Police spokeswoman Alicia Smiley said Sunday.
The victim was identified Sunday as 48-year-old Adan Fabian Perez, a Guatemala native, according to Jo-Ann Farmer, chief deputy coroner for Jefferson County.
Farmer said he was identified by his 19-year-old son, who also works at the track.
"At this point we don't have anything pointing to the fact that this had any association with Churchill Downs or the Derby itself," Smiley said.
"He did sustain injuries that lead us to believe he was involved in some type of altercation," Smiley added.
"Our investigation is ongoing as to why he would have specifically been at this location."
Authorities received a call shortly before 5 a.m. on Sunday reporting a body found in a barn not far from where I'll Have Another, the horse that won Saturday's race, was stabled.
There were no obvious signs of a struggle. Smiley said evidence at the scene led investigators to believe the death was a homicide. She did not elaborate.
She said Sunday evening that police "still do not have suspect information at this point."
An autopsy was planned for Monday to determine the cause of death.
The body was found in a barn occupied by Louisville trainer Angel Montano Sr., Smiley said. Montano did not have a horse in Saturday's derby.
Montano's barn is just four away — about 150 yards — from where I'll Have Another is kept.
A telephone call, text and Twitter message left by The Associated Press for Montano were not immediately returned.
Watch US News crime videos on msnbc.com
On Saturday, I'll Have Another, ridden by jockey Mario Gutierrez, won the 138th running of the tradition-rich Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in a stunning finish before a record crowd of more than 165,000 people.
About 200 people live at Churchill Downs at any given time — either in dormitories on the edge of the property or in small apartments above some of the barns themselves.
About a week after the Kentucky Derby last year, jockey Michael Baze's body was found in a vehicle near the stables at the famed Louisville track. His death was ruled an accidental overdose.
The Associated Press and NBC News' Michelle Franzen contributed to this story.
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Gambling is not an easy way to go
Horse lost?
Either that, or he touted the wrong horse to the wrong mobster.
Another victim of the Mint Julep Killer.
Mr. Ed strikes again, so long Wilbur.
Now THAT's what I call the "ultimate scratch."
Gives a whole new meaning to the 1940's Marx bros film A day at the races... "Either he's dead or my watch has stopped"
There is too many mobsters and gangsters involved with the derby. But anyone could of killed this guy.
It's like every detective show from the 80s come to life.
Jsfoo - not sure you are aware of the fact that nobody, and that includes hot walkers, grooms, trainers, stablehands, all the way up to the owners themselves, can work at a racetrack, or own a race horse if they have a criminal record. You won't get past the stable gate. Since the gentleman was killed backside (that's what the barn area is called), the suspected killer would have had to pass through a checkpoint. As for the betting, anyone can lay down a bet, but every single employee at every single race course in the USA has been thoroughly background checked. It would be easier to get a job at the Pentagon than at a race track. Just sayin'..... and yes, I know this because I've done it all, including owning a horse or two.
There were over 160,000 people there. One dead out of 160,000 isn't so bad.
Ask the one.
Isn't so good either.
in South-American-Soccer-stadium patron numbers, that's a great day..
160,000 with an average age of 65 not bad at all.
lol, sounds like your from Flint,MI
Im not surprised with names like union rags..
Union Rags belongs to the wife of artist Jamie Wyeth
The spokeswoman said, "It is believed to be a male". Wow, that's not really a tough question is it?
Anymore that could be a really tough question!!
Are cops that dumb? Fresh body, but they can't tell if it's male, or female?
It's PAT!
moshuluu: No, the cops are that smart for not releasing information to the media yet, as well as conducting a thorough investigation before making statements based on assumptions alone.
Could be Chaz Bono, also known as "Shim"
CO Mommy - can you figure out the difference between a Mommy and a Daddy?
Go right to the source and ask the horse,
He'll give you the answer that you'll endorse!
He's always on a steady course.
Talk to Mr. Ed!
Don: Can you automatically tell the difference between someone who "appears" to be a male but is in fact female, when you haven't been able to look underneath the clothes?
they think it was 'foul' play!!? really?????
what, was this a chicken ranch or something??
all the while i was thinking it was 'horseplay' that got out of hand. it would certainly behoove them to do a bit more investigation! so we can, you know, know the whole----------------- tail!
certainly glad i am not saddled with that job!!
kind of reminds me of when i was a kid, and the shoe factory in town burned to the ground.
12,000 souls were lost that night!!!!!!
and quite a few heels, as well!! but i digress.
decomp!
Is it just me, or does "found at the Kentucky Derby" imply they found the body at the race? The Kentucky Derby is an EVENT not a place. The PLACE is Churchill Downs. Come on!
Gotta tailor the precision of the presentation to the abilities of the audience. Any math teacher knows that.
it says track, that is a place.
Not in the link on the main page; it still doesn't.
"Believed to be male"? How long had it been there? Seems you could tell which sex it was unless you looking at a skeletion.
Was he a groom or rider from one of the losing horses?
Not only did they mention the Kentucky Derby but also had to put in the article the name of the winner of the race. What has that got to do with the fact that they found a body at Churchill Downs Perhaps after the running of the race. why even put in the winner of the race what does all that have to do with a dead body?
Agree. I guess the reporter gets paid by the number of words he can jam into a story.....
So the news is that a body was found. Not that it was male or female. Not that any foul play was suspected. Not that it was worker or jockey. Pretty much no information at all.
A male body was found in a barn on the backside of Churchill Downs the night after one of the largest horse races of the year. There is a little more news than you want to either see or admit.
And, that area is covered in security cameras. If foul play happened back there, it's been caught on tape.
are you new to the way the media has operated in the past 4 years? it's no longer a means by which to deliver relevant information to the public but more an orwellian tool for the powers that be to control the masses. i'm not saying fox is right and msnbc is wrong or vice versa but that both are being used to pit us against one another and prevent us from seeing real information.
@bobg....you are correct sir...
@bobg-2482221: "the past 4 years"...really? You think it's only been going on that short a time? I am old, and it was happening long before I was born, or before there was an Internet, TV, news reels, movies, radio, et al.
Well when you think about it, why report any crime at all. Some homicides are reported, others are not. Some kidnapping are reported, others are not. Some missing persons cases are reported, others are not. Some bank robberies are reported, others are not. The list goes on and on. The things reported are designed to make you react, not to give you real information. What would you do with the information if you knew every detail, including the sex of the victim? How would it be relevent to your life?
I guess he was doing to much *puts on glasses* horsing around.
YEAH!
Did you have to saddle the discussion with that comment? I bridled at that comment .... it's a bit too much. I'm guessing you may not be stable.
Sorry denver, you've just been voted off the island.
Well, Bridget, I got the reference. :)
I think this is a case of foal play.
please tell me it was Mitch McConnell
I have a good feeling that someone lost a lot of money and the winner was the body that was found.
on my local NBC affiliate, it indicates drug overdose is suspected. Translation---well connected bookie finds new way to punish those who cannot pay their marker.
Work on the "backside" in the barns at Churchill Downs is intense and tough on the normal days. On Derby Day, it is madness. I love a good conspiracy theory, but it's quite possible a worker fell to heat and humidity exhaustion and / or a heart attack. Truly sad.
While I agree that this article is very incomplete and poorly reported, some of the comments about the person who died are in poor taste. The victim is someone's family member or friend and they will mourn the loss. A little compassion please.
My god 15 posts and no one has blamed Obama or Bush !! Amazing !!!
And then you had to raise the pair of them!
And when, exactly, did Mr. Natural become a political junkie?
Obama is at fault. After all he is the president.
He bet the whole farm and lost.
another episode of murder she wrote?....
I blame very short white hispanics dressed in colorful attire...........
White hispanics?
Too funny.
"She said the body was believed to be a male"
Was that a reflection of her own ignorance or was the body in such bad shape they couldn't tell whether it was male or female?
The spokeswoman was using precaution. She is not the coroner so she hasn't examined the body. It looks like a man. That's all she knows. If she says definitively that it is a man and then it turns out to be a woman dressed like a man then everybody is still up in arms. It is a human body found at a racetrack where one of the most famous horeraces is held. That is the main idea of the story.
Echo,
Yes, I understand the need for caution, but I also think a spokesperson should be informed in order to be capable of informing the public.
Ok Mickey,
Let's just say it's a man...............................................................................................Ok, now what?
Now let's say its a woman............................................................................................Ok, now what?
What difference does it make to the public at this point?
I'll just "bet" nobody thought of pulling his/her pants down during the investigation. Hmmmmm I guess the gender really didn't matter at that point so I would assume the medical examiner will make that determination. Really? I think the fact that it was a human being would be all that was necessary.
This Story is So New, At This Time, That the Story could come out that the body was the Result of One of the Races of the day or Somebody didn't do their "Job" When "Someone Should Have".
The story is so laden with information I just don't know what to do.
So why are we so unsure the body is male or female or if died naturally or was murdered? Is it so mangled she can't tell? If so, that doesn't sound like any natural death to me.
The didn't say it was a "natural" death. They said there was "evidence" of a homicide.
This person's horse must have come in last.
It is astounding how stupid and insensitive 90% of those who wrote comments on this story are!! Boobus America is alive and sick. Someone DIED... , but they can only write lame jokes about the scene, or "make fun" of the situation. Not very promising. (: