Man is found dead

No foul play is suspected in the death of a man found in the French Creek bed behind Lynn’s Dakotamart last Tuesday afternoon.

At 12:42 p.m., Cheryl Steele called 911 to report the body, which was lying face down in the creek bed. There was no water in the creek.

Lt. Marty Mechaley of the Custer County Sheriff’s Department was among those to respond to the call. When he arrived, he found Cornelius Flanagan, 45, of Custer, to be the man lying in the creek bed. Mechaley said it is estimated Flanagan had been lying in the creek bed since around 11 p.m. the night before. He said an autopsy was done in Rapid City, and the death appears to be consistant with hypothermia. Flanagan lived in the Gordon Street area.

Mechaley said some investigation has revealed that Flanagan was seen drinking at a local establishment earlier that night and alcohol may have contributed to the death. Full toxicology results won’t be available for two weeks, Mechaley said.

Mechaley said he was unaware how long Flanagan had been living in Custer, but the sheriff’s department had made a previous contact with him in October. Flanagan, who worked at Corner Pantry, had no family in Custer, Mechaley said.