
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: MONDAY, March 2, 1992                   TAG: 9203020126
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: A-4   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

DEAD MAN'S IDENTITY LEARNED; AUTOPSY PLANNED

A man found dead early Saturday in a house in the 1300 block of Wise Avenue Southeast has been identified as Kermit B. Newcomb, 64, Roanoke police said Sunday.

Authorities are waiting for the results of an autopsy to determine whether Newcomb died of natural causes.

Several bloody rags and pieces of clothing were found on a kitchen table and near the bed where Newcomb's body was lying, police said.

But the owner of the house - Eldridge Lee Massey - told police the blood on the rags was his. Massey said a man had come to the house a few days earlier and had pulled two of his teeth with pliers. He said he had used the rags to stop the bleeding.

Newcomb lived at the house with Massey, police said.

An autopsy is scheduled for today.

Keywords:
FATALITY

by CNB