Indianapolis man takes own life at park overlook

By JEFF MOORE

The News-Democrat

The Carroll County Sheriff's Department is investigating the apparent suicide of an Indianapolis man at the overlook at General Butler State Resort Park Saturday evening.

Deputy J.T. Shaw, the officer leading the investigation, said Tuesday that out-of-town visitors to the park found the man unresponsive at the overlook and called the park lodge. Park officials called the dispatch office and officers from the sheriff's department and several other agencies responded, including Carroll County Rescue. Coroner David Wilhoite was called in and pronounced the man dead at the scene.

The man, whose identity is being withheld pending completion of tests at the Kentucky State Police lab in Frankfort, apparently died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, Shaw said.

Shaw said he has been assisted in the investigation by Kentucky State Park rangers Darrell Tomlinson and Wayne Highchew, Deputy Travis Price, hazardous materials official Mitchell Perkins and the Kentucky State Police.