Homeless man found dead at Camp Take Notice

Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Derrick Jackson said someone called 9-1-1 at 12:23 p.m. after a fellow camper found the man lying motionless and not breathing inside his own tent. Ambulance personnel pronounced the man dead at the scene.

Police have identified the man’s name but won’t release it until they can identify next of kin to notify them, Jackson said. He is believed to be in his early 40s.

Foul play is not suspected in the death. Officials believe the man had not been dead long.

Camp Take Notice is an outdoor, self-governed camp located in Scio Township, between Jackson and Dexter-Ann Arbor roads off of Wagner Road near M-14 on a Michigan Department of Transportation right of way. The encampment typically houses between 30 and 40 tents, Jackson said; a recent count identified 45.

MDOT recently told camp residents they have until June 22 to vacate the property but is offering residents subsidies from the Michigan State Housing Development Authority.

Contact freelancer Sven Gustafson at sventg123(at)gmail(dot)com, or follow him on Twitter.