IDENTIFICATION AND CAUSE OF DEATH DETERMINED IN DEATH INVESTIGATION
Per the Ashland County Coroner's Office, the Lucas County Coroner's Office has identified the body that was found on February 4th, 2024, in the 1000 block of E. 9th St. as Timothy Metcalf of Ashland. Officials confirmed the identity using Metcalf's dental records.
Metcalf was entered as a "missing and endangered adult" on February 21st, 2023, after walking away from his home without his phone or wallet. According to his family, he was under significant stress at that time.
The initial investigation into Metcalf's disappearance determined that a .22 caliber handgun was missing from his residence. Investigators found the missing handgun next to Metcalf's body. The autopsy findings from the Lucas County Coroner's Office indicate that the cause of death was a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
In the days following Metcalf's disappearance, Ashland Police officers, Ashland Fire personnel, Ashland County Sheriff's deputies, Ohio State Highway Patrol officers, and the Ohio Special Response Team were joined by the family and community volunteers as they searched extensively for Metcalf.
According to the Ohio Special Response Team, statistics show a 75 percent probability that a missing individual, under similar circumstances, would be located within .9 miles of their home. Local public safety officials combed the area within this perimeter on the ground using specially trained canines and by air with drones.
According to Ashland City Police Chief David Lay, local search efforts took them near the site, as close as Cahn Grove Park and the west side of Clark Street. However, officials and volunteers did not enter the specific area where Metcalf's body was found, approximately 1.3 miles from his home.
"We ask that our community please keep Mr. Metcalf's family in your prayers, and show them kindness by respecting their privacy during this difficult time," said Chief Lay.
The Metcalf Family has asked us to share the following statement.
We would like to express our sincere gratitude to everyone who participated in the searches for our husband, dad, and grandfather. We appreciate the love, support and prayers from our family, friends, and community members. We know the massive undertaking that was involved. We never stopped looking. A special thanks to the Ashland Police Division, especially to Chief Lay and Detective Pearce, who went above and beyond dealing with many issues, while being thoughtful and comforting to the family. Thank you to all our friends, coworkers, relatives, and Ashland neighbors who selflessly pitched in, including the many driving from areas including Cleveland, Columbus, and Pennsylvania. We encountered many people who shared access to land, prayers, tears, meals, support and advice. We witnessed individuals and families who did not know us searching on their own. A special thanks to Jared, Remi, and Ichabod for their extra efforts. And, we extend a sincere thank you to the man that found him and called 911.
The outcome is difficult for us all. We love and miss Tim and have mourned him over the past year.
We would like to take the time to share who he was and what he meant to us. Tim was a loyal and faithful man. His family was the most important thing to him. He was married 53 years and had three children and eight grandchildren whom he loved and was a huge part of their lives.
He was a Hall of Fame baseball player at Grace College. He passed on his love of sports to his children. He coached basketball and baseball and would draft any neighborhood kid available to his teams, because of how much he cared for each of them. Everyone got playing time every game. He taught Sunday school at Woodville Grace and started a Wednesday program at Ashland Grace. He mentored inmates as part of prison ministries for years.
As a grandfather, he went to all of his grandchildren’s sporting and musical events, sometimes driving five hours in a day to be there in the stands to show his love and support. They love him dearly. Each of them pitched in to search and to support however they could. He has four grandchildren in college and one that graduated recently. He never failed to speak of his pride for them.
Tim was the hardest working person anyone knew. He was employed by Ohio Edison for 49 years where he would sometimes work 10 hour days including the day he went missing. Many of those years involved walking up to 15 miles a day serving his customers. He was never late a day in his life and was looking forward to retiring when he reached 50 years of service.
He was a supportive brother, uncle and son. He cared for his aging father and had daily contact with his sister. He deeply loved all of his nieces and nephews, who also helped in the search. They too are missing his presence. We now ask that you give us time and space to continue the grieving process. We plan to have a private memorial service sometime in the near future. Please continue your prayers for our family and friends. We have felt the comfort of so many prayers all along and they have brought us peace to accept that God’s plans are often outside the scope of what we can understand. Sincerely, The Tim Metcalf Family