When police went to Cotterman’s nearby home, they found his wallet in his clothing inside his car, which police said “appeared to have struck a tree on the property,” according to an incident report.
The homeowner on the 2200 block of Upper Bellbrook Road found the body Saturday, but had previously noticed it when she returned home from running errands on Thursday, she told police. The woman “believed it was just a plastic bag that someone had discarded and it was floating in the water.”
Cotterman’s body was found wearing only a pair of shoes and “what appeared to be underwear,” the report said. Sugarcreek Twp. police previously said he was found without any personal affects.
Police said there were no signs of foul play where the body was found, nor at Cotterman’s residence.
In an interview at the scene, Sugarcreek Twp. police said Cotterman may have suffered from Alzheimer’s Disease or dementia, though the incident report does not mention either possibility.
Neighbors described Cotterman’s death as “sad.”
“We have some cases of Alzheimer’s in our family,” said Kurt Hoffhein of Sugarcreek Twp. “We know how devastating it can be. It is just sad.”
Another resident, Mary Timme, said: “I don’t think a lot of people know what to do to help or recognize that somebody needs help.”
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