GUNN CITY, Mo. — Police have identified the man who was found unresponsive at the bottom of a well and later pronounced dead on Thursday as 72-year-old Connie B. Dillon of Pleasant Hill, Mo. At this time, the cause of death has not been determined.
Sheriff’s deputies from the Cass County Sheriff’s Office as well as the East Lynne Fire Department responded to the scene in the 22600 block of S. Dillon Rd., near the intersection of E. 229th St. and M Highway at about 5:30 p.m. on Thursday.
A lieutenant told FOX 4’s Megan Brilley that authorities believe Dillon accidentally fell into the well, which is located behind his home where he lived with his wife. Neighbors told FOX 4 that the victim was a farmer in the area and very well-known within his community. He was said to have an infectious smile.
“Very nice guy. We’re gonna miss him around here,” Linda Vassar, neighbor, said. “Good farmer, it’s just tragic that something like that would happen to him.”
Police say the well is approximately 30 feet deep and the waterline was 10 feet below the opening. Investigators focused Thursday night on learning how long he had been in the well and will be assisted by the Jackson County Medical Examiner’s Office to determine his exact cause of death.
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