In RE: The Reason Is Simple wrote on Oct 14, 2006 1:12 AM:
" Are you that ignorant? I never got the chance to know Luke personally, but from what people I know that knew him and from all the things I hear about him I wish I did. He was a good man. And how dare you say he was walking to the river just to pee...you obviously are just some person trying to blame it on alcohol. maybe you need to realize there is something more than alcohol behind all these deaths. i go to Winona State University and our bars are closer to the water than La Crosse bars.......and we have never had a drowning....so don't be quick to judge.....thanks.....and may LUKE HOMAN RIP!! God Bless!! Loved by WSU!! "
"Expert" at intoxication wrote on Oct 6, 2006 7:04 PM:
" You can walk, talk and dance at .320g/100mL. older people may not, but more conditioned college aged people are. Not to mention the physiology of alcohol absorption/processing in a physically fit individual can extend limits of published data. (The more fit you are, the more you can drink, and the less impaired you are becuase your body processes it faster) Sincerely, Darwin "
Dylan wrote on Oct 6, 2006 5:23 PM:
" If his BAC was 0.32, which is considered life threatening, then how would he be able to walk from the vibe to the river without passing out or even just falling over? "
The reason is simple wrote on Oct 6, 2006 4:35 PM:
" Someone asked "why are there only males drowning in the river?" The answer is very simple. Men seem to feel the need to piss in the river when they're drunk. If you recall, many of the other floaters were found with their zippers open. Women squat behind bushes and the like while men just seem to feel the need to go piss in the river. "
Accidents Happen wrote on Oct 6, 2006 3:13 PM:
" Accidents happen. Even to the nicest people. Accidents especially happen when people are compromised. A .32 BAC certainly compromises one's ability to perform at an adept level. Looking from theories of rougue cops, crazed taxi drivers, the occurance of many of these disappearances to Jewish holidays, let's look at the fact that drinking to excess compromises one ability to operate with any level of dexterity. Add a swift, deep river with a strong current, something that the riverfronts in Milwaukee, Chicago, Eau Claire and numerous other college campus towns lack, and it's easy to see how accidents happen. DEAL WITH IT "
Patriot wrote on Oct 6, 2006 11:33 AM:
" I seem to have missed a key detail here... time of death. Reports so far have only indicated last seen, when found, where found, no inidcations of struggle and a high BAC. Time of death is a KEY fact that I didn't find reported. If there is a legitimate desire to learn about what may have led to the death, then time of death is important to establish. For eample if time of death were to turn out to be at 10AM the following day after last seen, that would be a strong clue that he didn't just wander into the river after leaving the bars. "
Me wrote on Oct 6, 2006 9:53 AM:
" If alcohol is the killer here, why are there not deaths like this in Milwaukee? With all the festivals that they have all summer long, right on the lake, why isn't it happening there? Summerfest, for example, is a prime place for binge drinking, and I don't recall every hearing of something like this happening once ... much less 8 times. Milwaukee is supposedly the 'drunkest city' in the country, so ... "
resident wrote on Oct 6, 2006 7:09 AM:
" I live in an East Avenue condo next to the river. On Saturday after the Maple Leaf Parade at about 5 pm, a young man came staggering through our complex. He made his way to the edge of the river. Had it not been for a couple of our concerned residents who noticed him, guided him out to the street and called the police, perhaps there would have been 2 incidents that day. It happens. "
thinker wrote on Oct 6, 2006 7:05 AM:
" I agree with all that ALCOHOL in the form of binge drinking is the killer here. People aren't satisfied with sipping a beer or mixed drink. Downing shots has become the norm. When will it end? Perhaps bars should stop serving shots. Better yet, perhaps drinkers should learn responsibilty. Those of you who believe there is a serial killer out there are trying to ignore the awful truth about this situation. Drink, have fun, get a little buzzed but --- drink responsibly, stay with your friends, and don't let it get to the point of danger. "
Everyone has an opinion wrote on Oct 5, 2006 5:54 PM:
" I think that people should stop getting mad at everyone else. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. There is obviously two sides to this case 1. being serial killer 2. being alcohol. No matter which one it is, let's get people together so we can figure out how to stop this madness. "
Re: tb wrote on Oct 5, 2006 5:42 PM:
" He wouldn't have to drink a lot of alcohol in a short amount of time, he could also have been drinking for hours and hours, which appears to be the case. "
irony wrote on Oct 5, 2006 5:39 PM:
" Before the BAL came out, people said, "No one could be THAT drunk." Now that we know being "that drunk" is possible, these same people have decided that you can in fact be that drunk, but now you can't walk 2 blks. People do it every wknd in Lax!! "
I would think ... wrote on Oct 5, 2006 4:17 PM:
" a BAC that high would make walking optimistic, much less walking to the river and falling in. Still, I have this nagging little suspicion that the BACs of all these kids has been exaggerated. I wouldn't want to speculate as to why that would happen. Making clues fit the suposition? And is that to say that anyone with that high a BAC will die in the river? Or is it just in October? Or is it just if they are young male college students? T "
to: how much do we care? wrote on Oct 5, 2006 3:55 PM:
" Cancel Oktoberfest for one year to send a message? What are you thinking, this is the first death in the river that happened to occur over Oktoberfest, how about adults just being more responsible drinking, or how about this, whoever is coaxing these young men to the river, stop it, we are tired of young men dying in our town and we are tired of these families having to be tormented by stupid comments on this website about the family member that they lost. Let's catch this jerk and get it over with!! Cancelling Oktoberfest, that has got to be a former alcoholic talking, don't hate on Oktoberfest, don't hate on beer, hate on whoever is doing all of this!!! "
tb wrote on Oct 5, 2006 3:50 PM:
" Ok, so realistically Mr. Homan was intoxicated to the point where he should have been passed out. So, in saying that, how did he get to the river? I am not saying a serial killer by any means but think about it, if his blood alcohol level was at .32 when he was found or tested, was it higher when he actually "fell" into the river?? Not a professional but to me, that sounds like a possibility that he had help down there. Mr. Homan was a big guy and for his alcohol content to be that high, he would have had to drink a very very high amount of alcohol in a small amount of time. "
A ? wrote on Oct 5, 2006 12:26 PM:
" How many more people have to die from alcohol related accidents before the government does something about it?It should never have been legalized.It is one of the worst drugs around.
Who cares if prohibition didn't eliminate alcohol use.Other drugs that are illegal don't stop people from using them either. "
Joker wrote on Oct 5, 2006 12:03 PM:
" It's time to make LAX a dry town, come on, let's set an example and save lives. Oh wait, this town uses alcohol for revenue thru courts, treatment centers and and oh ya...DRUNKFESTS! "
Patriot on drinking wrote on Oct 5, 2006 11:44 AM:
" We do not know for sure how all the alcohol got into their systems. Yes we know most of them were drinking, but not how much. Also, we do not know for certain WHERE they went in the water, only where they were found. Additionally, I don't recall reading that the medical examiner's report specified time of death. Establishing time of death is a fairly important thing to do if you care at all about learning what might have lead to the death. "
common sense wrote on Oct 5, 2006 9:54 AM:
" ya know,we put alot of emphasis on the riverside sight of entry for all 8 of these"drownings",and if you ever go down to the levy you can see how fast the current is.if they are in the water at riverside,by the next day the current would have taken them down by houska...CHECK UP RIVER FOR CLUES! RIVERSIDE IS NOT THE POINT OF ENTRY!!!THINK ABOUT IT,IT DOES NOT ADD UP!!!!! "
How much do we care? wrote on Oct 5, 2006 9:45 AM:
" First...pryares to the family and friends of all lost boys. So...how much do we really care about these young men? What price are we willing to pay? What is the value of a human life? Seems to me that many messages could be sent by our COMMUNITY. Could we cancel Oktorberfest for a year to send a message? Is the pary worth a human life? Could the tavern league agree to close the bars on just 1 Saturday night to send a message. Are the profits worth a human life? Is this a question of Dollars or Sense...Common Sense? "
Senior Citizen wrote on Oct 5, 2006 9:33 AM:
" Don't you guys GET it??????? Of COURSE there's a serial killer-----BOOZE!! And it's accomplices: bartenders who don't refuse to serve inebriated customers, friends who don't give a darn, overworked policepersons, business owners who want to make extra bucks via civic celebrations--it can go on. Us old folks have a great time at the annual Jazz Fest, and I've yet to read about drownings during THAT weekend. So here's a challenge, all you comment writers: what are YOU going to do to help the situation????? "
z wrote on Oct 4, 2006 11:46 PM:
" okay the officials have read and heard the communities response. so what are they going to do about all the questions that people are asking? of course they are going to close the case because it was "binge drinking" "
Skeptic (Part 2) wrote on Oct 4, 2006 11:39 PM:
" The BAC's of these young men by no means eliminates the possibility that another person may have been involved in their deaths. I will not argue the fact that La Crosse has a problem with alcohol and binge drinking, but we also live in a world where anything is possible and no stone should go unturned. Maybe it doesn't fit the profile of your typical serial killer, but they all like to be unique and have their trademark. One website proposes the idea that this type of serial killer gets his/her thrill from the "missing student," part of the case. The least the city could do is make it more difficult for these deaths to occur by making changes at the park. "
Les wrote on Oct 4, 2006 11:26 PM:
" I am very convinced that there is a Cover Up here.......anyone else...duh..stupid question..Hey lets have another town meeting "
open your eyes... wrote on Oct 4, 2006 11:21 PM:
" Quoted from a recent news article, "Chief Ed Kondracki says there's only one link to all the deaths - and that's binge drinking." Call me crazy, but I think there were a couple more links, including a dangerous river that the city has failed put any safety features around. The only irresponsible people in this story are the city leaders that knew the Mississippi is dangerous and did nothing to prevent another young man from losing his life.
"
Where are the police when you need them??? wrote on Oct 4, 2006 11:16 PM:
" I used to work nights across the street from the river, after the last drowning the police patroled the park every night and they stopped anyone going into the park after 11:00 PM. I guess they dont do that anymore, I can understand with budget cuts maybe they cant afford to do this any longer, but I would think that during Oktoberfest (Beerfest) they would keep a close watch on the park. Also they were supposed to install video cameras by the river, did they?? Does anyone know if they did?? I guess that would only make sense. What I dont understand is why are only males drowning? Seems suspicious to me. "
STFU wrote on Oct 4, 2006 11:16 PM:
" BAC doesn't mean anything. I know a handful of people, myself included, who had a WIDE RANGE in their BAC...yet, each shows it differently. And, just because this man was a student, athlete, etc...doesn't mean he couldn't go out and get bombed. I highly doubt anyone forced him to get that drunk, rather, he became that drunk without knowing it. Like you've never been drinking, and suddenly hit that point...'Oh man, I'm DRUNK'. I'm sure you've passed that point as well. Bottom line is, we had a Task Force created - it didn't do ANYTHING. When do we start taking a better approach and place people at Riverside on weekend nights? I would be MORE THAN WILLING to volunteer one weekend night per month, 10pm-4am, walking the park with one other person. Give a radio to contact the police and a flashlight, what easier step to prevention than that? "
can't believe this wrote on Oct 4, 2006 11:01 PM:
" Since the 50s kids have been in the bars, now
they wander to the river. Doubt it!
If the bac is that high you can barely stand up
let alone walk. The river isn't that enticing.
Think about who an intoxicated person would go
with, scary thought. "
dw wrote on Oct 4, 2006 10:58 PM:
" Living in LaCrosse for the past 20 yrs, with UWL thriving before I moved here, it's quite frustrating to believe this is only a binge drinking tragedy. Why hasn't there been any other "freak" accident, such as falling from car ramps, getting hit by a car, as much as drowning in the Mississippi? IF this was an act of binge drinking only, there would have been alot more, sooner. Why aren't members of the alcohol task force or police force believing some of these ideas? The people who state that this is nothing but a result of binge drinking have NOT proven that it is NOT a result of a killer. Once again, we should go outside the county and invite more motivated and experienced investigators.
I am so sorry for the family of Luke Homan. Our thoughts are with you all. This is a shame. "
Wandering Around wrote on Oct 4, 2006 10:55 PM:
" First let me send my sincere condolences to ALL of the familes that have had their young men fall VICTIM to the Mighty Mississippi. What doesn't add up to me is the fact that these young men don't wander home instead of wandering to the riverside park area. It just seems too fishy that these young men always head west to the river, rather than heading east towards town. Excessive drinking will always be a problem, we all need to be as responsible as we can. "
wow wrote on Oct 4, 2006 10:55 PM:
" WOW, the cops figured out he was drunk........... Great, do we just chaulk it up to another drunken mistake? Or do we have the task force blame local liquor licensees, Or do we get off our butts and end this before it happens again. This town has been this way for years and never had a drowning problem until the recent history. Hey police chief, you are a joke and so is the dept. R.I.P. luke "
Time for action wrote on Oct 4, 2006 10:52 PM:
" Stop blaming the police chief, mayor and who knows who else for these kids dying. I don't see either of them putting money on the bar and buying drinks. You could sit here all day and find people to blame. Let's stop talking about this and starting doing something to make this city better and safer. It's about time we work together as a community to change this long standing culture of easy-binge-drinking. The rivers, bluffs and alcohol are not a winning combination. Let's earn back our reputation as "God's Country" #1 Small City in America. "
Curious wrote on Oct 4, 2006 10:50 PM:
" If the police would bother to check the security cameras...and given the route he took...banks, the radisson etc most building have them. And if he went into the river where they think he did..it is lit. Would'nt they be able to see something maybe one person? or two? "
Check these local stories about drunks wrote on Oct 4, 2006 10:46 PM:
" La Crosse and UW-LaCrosse are very safe, except when it comes to drunken behavior by drivers or INDIVIDUALs; read LaCrosse WIZM radio website, do they only report this news? 1- stories about '20' yr old drunk ALONE being stopped trying to go in river last Sat night, 2- many drunken stories (it will never end), www.1410wizm.com/news/index.php?newsid=1787 , next www. same above until =1779. Drunks drown elsewhere too, but lets say its serial killer. "
response to "abuse is the killer" wrote on Oct 4, 2006 10:44 PM:
" would it be wierd if all the drunk drivers were attractive, brunette, 20 something, athletes? "
Put the Pieces together wrote on Oct 4, 2006 10:40 PM:
" I see both sides of this situation. I have seen people walking and talking with a BAC of .40. A BAC level that a person should be dead at. Check out any ER on a Saturday night you'll get the picture. On the other hand I find it a little odd that all of the vics were young males 19-21. I would also like to add since I lived in the Twin Cities recently that there have been other young males pulled out of the river. I believe that St. Cloud had the same problem. "
research... wrote on Oct 4, 2006 10:39 PM:
" To people who talk about Madison. Its a LAKE not a river...currents kills! undertow? ever heard of it? The bank @ Riverside park drops to what 10ft or more? Lakes are like bowls.
Also remember, The leading cause of death for young men aged 15-24 is unintentional accidents
The National Safety Council reports that in 1999, 647 15-24 year-olds died due to drowning, 592 were male.
Oh. Thank god he wasn't drinking, more people may have died. "
Alcohol wrote on Oct 4, 2006 10:38 PM:
" If I,m such a killer explain why I only make 21 - 25 year old athletic brunet men walk to the river. Do I not like blonds or women. Get with it people. "
Need an Answer wrote on Oct 4, 2006 10:35 PM:
" Regardless of what the BAC was and any connections between the drownings....Men are dying in Riverside Park and something needs to be done to make that area safe for EVERYONE. Drunk or not we should not have people dying in Riverside Park. "
UWL Student wrote on Oct 4, 2006 10:34 PM:
" Before the community starts accusing just "college students" as the only ones in this community to have a drinking problem lets take a look at the rest of the community first. Long before any of the college students that are now attending school here, came here, there was Oktoberfest. This fest itself is revolved around the entire community celebrating and getting very drunk, not just college students! Old and young alike. We can scream "Personal Responsibility" all we want. We however, are all responsible for one another. We all deserve the right to be safe. We all deserve sympathy when our family is in pain. Homan's family, is our family, La Crosse's Family! Stop arguing about the issue and let's come together and grieve with the Homan family, send our prayers to them, and learn from each other and rebuild together. "
Again wrote on Oct 4, 2006 10:26 PM:
" Well, we could put a cop down there every night. We'll call him a babysitter. Or we could put up an ugly $250000 fence that drunks will crawl over anyway. Or we could accept the fact that binge drinking will never stop. You can have meetings, discussions, plans and whatever, but it will never stop. I wonder if these kids that fell in had it in the back of their heads the past tales of drowning deaths and walked down to check things out. Some of the BAC levels where not that high and unless the water is freezing, it should not take much to get out. "
you'd be surprised wrote on Oct 4, 2006 10:22 PM:
" To those of you who think that a BAC of .32 should be "walking dead", you haven't had experience with a serious drinker. .32 can happen in a short amount of time if you are really drinking seriously. He was not in a state of dysfunction until he got to Riverside, obviously. You'd be surprised how well some people can function when they are THAT drunk. "
Milwaukeen wrote on Oct 4, 2006 10:18 PM:
" Drunk people in Madison and Milwaukee do fall into the water. Some guy actually got a ticket for pulling his drunk friend out of Lake Michigan because it is illegal to "swim" that close to the harbor entrance. But it is not the MISSISSIPPI river. Lakes don't have too many currents that quickly pull you under. Does anyone know if Luke, or any of these victims, knew how to swim? Being a young, athletic man doesn't automatically make you a powerful swimmer even without the effects of alcohol. "
Daryl B wrote on Oct 4, 2006 10:17 PM:
" Why are we concerned about ABC College in XYZ town? Who cares about your comparisons. Get interested in what happens in La Crosse. If five guys set out to drink and will look after each other and all five are in about the same intoxicated condition, who's looking after who? Go in groups and designate someone to be the sober one, similar to the designated driver. Binge drinking is not the problem - it is the lions share of several problems combined that are killing people. And not just the ones that fall in the river. Look up DUI statistics and death rates. Now there's an eye-opener. If we do nothing, we can all be tried for aiding and abetting a 'serial killer'. "
To: Alcohol Abuse is killer wrote on Oct 4, 2006 10:07 PM:
" If you would read, alot of people aren't saying there IS a serial killer, nor is anyone blaming "cops, city, task force, everything else." They are just saying that its odd that someone that drunk can walk that far without falling or running into something and getting scratched. Winona's bars are closer to the river, EC has a river running by it I believe, and how many other college towns have lakes or rivers in them, and no one else has problems with people drowning. Anyone with common sense would say that something just isn't right. Hopefully something gets figured out so no one has to go through what happened this weekend again. "
past drinker wrote on Oct 4, 2006 10:02 PM:
" As a person who's experienced very high bac in the past I don't find it suspicious that this young man wandered around before finding his unfortunate way to the river.I have quite literally been in a room where I couldn't find the exit because I was so blitzed. But it does seem suspect that several young men have found a similar fate in the river in the last few years.My condolences to his family and friends.Could the police post someone in or near Riverside to hopefully prevent such tragedies from recurring? "
What About Roofies...? wrote on Oct 4, 2006 9:57 PM:
" Would it be possible that Rohypnol(aka the date rape drug)could be involved? Roofies can easily be slipped into alcohol or any drink for that matter without anyone knowing. If an individual consumes roofies they become extremely relaxed, tired, decrease in judgment, and loss of motor skills, in ADDITION to the affects of alcohol. If someone was involved in this, of course no stones are going to be turned or signs of physical restraint are going to be present because the student had no clue what is happening to them (why is it called the date rape drug?). To my knowledge consumption of roofies can only be determined by a urine sample within 72 hours after consumption. The facts dont add up, these cases are too similar to one another! I went to college in Duluth where bars line the shoreline and we didnt lose any students to the water. "
ALCOHOL "ABUSE" IS THE SERIAL KILLER wrote on Oct 4, 2006 9:46 PM:
" Wacko killer/conspiracy alcohol-lovers will never be happy to know their "preciouusss" alcohol and their 'right' to abuse it could possibly be the killer. It's too easy to blame the cops, city, task force, everything else. Maybe a Tribune story about how many drunks get behind the wheel of cars and KILL/injure many more people in last 8 years in LaCrosse. Drunk drownings/ACCIDENTS will continue if people don't change behavior/drinking abuse. "
Local Observer wrote on Oct 4, 2006 9:44 PM:
" Why did you feel the need to say his blood alcohol concentration was "four times the legal limit for driving"? HE WASN'T DRIVING! What I REALLY need to know is how many times was he over the legal limit for flying an airplane? GET MY POINT? "
If BAC was .32 at the time of death, wrote on Oct 4, 2006 9:33 PM:
" might it be reasonable to think that his BAC was higher than that before death? It is interesting that if he was that intoxicated that he managed to make it the 3 blocks or more to the river without falling down until he reached the water. I would have guessed that if he had fallen on the way that he would probably not got back up again to continue his journey. Or did he get that drunk at Riverside Park and did not have to travel far? "
Still not convinced! wrote on Oct 4, 2006 9:33 PM:
"
Maybe someone forced him to drink enough to make him nearly unconcious. Only people with extreme drinking problems get that inebrieated intentionally - to the point of passing out! This young man was an athelete. A high performer in college both in the classroom and in sports... health concious, and responsible. Not the type of person who would get that wasted to this degree!
I sure hope witnesses will come forward who saw him in the bar where he was last seen, or his friends come forward to tell what they know... it might be helpful in piecing together some important information that could lead to an answer.
These senseless deaths are all tragic. And, it is certainly shedding a bad light on our city of LaCrosse! "
1 wrote on Oct 4, 2006 9:32 PM:
" yes he was very intoxicated, but how is it that all of these young men are able to walk all the way to the river, and especially in Luke's case- without a single scratch on him? And why is it that Luke would walk to the river instead the opposite way home. Yes he was intoxicated but one could still realize not to go by any water. I'm not saying there is a serial killer, but nothing adds up. "
Madison wrote on Oct 4, 2006 9:31 PM:
" How do the UW-Madison students, who are reported to party even more than UW-La Crosse students, avoid falling into the lakes that border the Madison campus? "
foul play wrote on Oct 4, 2006 9:29 PM:
" Nationally, the La Crosse investigation team in these drownings have become joke material. It is sad that the local authorities have closed all these cases because alcohol was involved. Please people, do not let this case be dismissed as an alcohol related death. Please post other college communities that have waterways nearby that have had similar situations. I don't think you will find any of this magnitude. "
What if he was forced to drink? wrote on Oct 4, 2006 9:15 PM:
" If it were one or two isolated incidents, I would be quick to blame alcohol. In this case, we have a number of young men who have faced the exact same fate. If someone were doing this, and setting the scene up to look like the student "just over drank," then it would seem to be more of a game than anything else. "
Be Logical wrote on Oct 4, 2006 8:44 PM:
" Applying Occam's Razor logic, when competing theories have equal predictive powers, select the one that introduces the fewest assumptions and postulates the fewest hypothetical entities. Thus, logically, alcohol is a better candidate than a phantom killer for these deaths. People: start taking responsibility for your actions! Alcohol abuse is to blame, not "some guy" hanging around out of sight of police until 3:30 waiting for a vic. I feel very bad for his family and loved ones. And I also wonder where his "friends" were that night. "
Not just bing drinking wrote on Oct 4, 2006 8:41 PM:
" This is not just about binge drinking someone is going around "praying" on young drunk men during the beginning the year. LaCrosse is a drinking town and people know this. I was in LaCrosse for the 1997 "accident" and for every "accident" after that. Every time it was called an "accident". How many more have to "fall" in before law enforcement starts to look for a serial killer. Hopefully this person can be caught so this does not happen again. And I live in Minneapolis/StPaul area and we do not have people falling in when they are at the bar and we can party like the rest of them. I pray everyday for these 5 families that have loss of their son. "
college kid wrote on Oct 4, 2006 8:38 PM:
" tell me this all of you that think this guy fell in on his own. How is it with a blood level of .32 this guy didnt have one scatch or bruise on him. If he walked 3 blocks alone he would have had to fall a few times as he stumbled along. There is no way he would walk perfectly fine and just fall in. THINK ABOUT THAT! "
How about... wrote on Oct 4, 2006 8:26 PM:
" How about finally putting up a fence along to river to prevent this in the future And or some type of security alarm that can alert the police. OR at least much more stepped up police patrols in that area. "
An innocent life was taken wrote on Oct 4, 2006 8:15 PM:
" No matter what his blood alcohol level was the importance is an innocent life was taken. It sounds like he was a great kid who was having fun. Kids make mistakes yet Luke is the only one who knows what happened and he is not here to tell. So please don’t just leave this case as a accident. Don’t stop trying to enforce more security down by the river because the safety of our kids is important. No one should have to go through what Luke’s parents are going through. As a parent with boys attending UWL I can't sleep at night worrying. "
Yep, he was drunk. wrote on Oct 4, 2006 8:11 PM:
" We all knew that. He was really drunk, SO WHAT. I've seen a lot of drunk people in my life, me being one of them in my college days. I still don't remember anybody "passing out" in the river. I've heard some community leaders say, some kids drink more now before they go the bar so they are drunker by the time they get downtown. There has always been the rip roaring drunk people downtown, Nothing has changed with these kids behavior or drinking philosophies. The river is no deeper today then it was thirty years ago. Those sidewalks really haven't changed directions as long as I can remember and the river has always been down hill from down town. What theory next?? "
Stan Zurawski wrote on Oct 4, 2006 8:09 PM:
" There is one common denominator in all of these deaths that points towards foul play.
No one ever sees these kids from the time they leave the bars, to the time they fall in to the river. There is always a span of time that no one can account for. As a whole, that does not add up. "
Focus on the Real Issue... wrote on Oct 4, 2006 8:08 PM:
" For starters, I send out my prayers to Homan Family and Friends. But Lacrosse needs to solve the real problem. People seem to be avoiding a finding a solution. Every college that is by a river or lake does not have problems like Lacrosse? Why don't we ever hear of anyone drowning in Madison, or Milwaukee etc. Can't Lacrosse place a police officer in Riverside Park to help prevent situations like this from happening? "
Good to a point? wrote on Oct 4, 2006 8:05 PM:
" If his BAC was soooooo high, how could he possibly walk himself down that path? That's a long, winding way to walk without stumbling and falling down. If there are no scraps or anything else, that must be what happened? "
I think... wrote on Oct 4, 2006 8:04 PM:
" I think its a woman lingering young, good looking men down to the river and then she is taking it from there...They are all usually good looking, athletic males who have something going for them. Just a thought... "
what's the focus on? wrote on Oct 4, 2006 8:01 PM:
" Binge drinking and partying happens all over the country. i don't think that's the solution, the solution is how to cope with it. at other colleges (such as uw-m & marquette) the administration takes a proactive approach and has university patrols, offers rides and assistance in getting these people home, etc. so there are fewer tragedies such as this. what is the u of lax doing in those regards? "
Response to Sally wrote on Oct 4, 2006 7:57 PM:
" The phantom serial killer you speak of is alcohol, it takes many lives. "
tom howard wrote on Oct 4, 2006 7:56 PM:
" binge drinking isn't something that happens only at uw lacrosse & universities located by bodies of water isn't only in la crosse almost every university is by water however, that many fatalities does seem to be only in la crosse!!!!! "
Lay off the booze wrote on Oct 4, 2006 7:56 PM:
" Extremely intoxicated? This kid was lucky he didn't go into a coma from the alcohol. A simple google search reveals that a .35 BAC is the level of surgical anesthesia. If you play, then sometimes you have to pay. Let this be a lesson to those over consume alcoholic beverages. "
TMB wrote on Oct 4, 2006 7:47 PM:
" This the same exact thing that happens after every drowning. The police release the blood alcohol level and then they say "See?...he sure was drunk, case closed!" It doesn't matter if these "drownings" are an accident or "foul play" they will happen again and again until the City and the Police Dept do something proactive. Having little kids draw posters and making bartenders come around to the other side of the bar to have to drink has done NOTHING. The Mayor and the Police Chief have done NOTHING, and they should be ashamed of themselves "
Northsider wrote on Oct 4, 2006 7:46 PM:
" Think about this. A drunk male walking alone and stumbling draws attention (look at that drunk). On the other hand a drunk walking with a male/female realisticly does not draw the same attention as the lone drunk. Think about it before you comment! It's too bad the dogs can't tell us if Luke was alone! "
PAM wrote on Oct 4, 2006 7:44 PM:
" HOW COULD A PERSON WITH THAT HIGH OF A BLOOD
ALCOHOL EVEN STAY ON THEIR FEET LONG ENOUGH
TO WALK DOWN TO RIVERSIDE PARK. SOMEONE IS
PICKING THESE MEN UP AND TAKING THEM DOWN TO
THE RIVER. AS AN OLD SAYING GOES FOR LACROSSE:
IF YOU WANT TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER GO TO
LACROSSE, WI, BUT NOT IF YOU WANT TO GET AWAY
WITH DRIVING DRUNK. "
An unbiased observer wrote on Oct 4, 2006 7:42 PM:
" I presently live in Texas, but I graduated from UW-L in 1975. LaCrosse has always been known as a party town and a party school. It is time for the students to take some personal responsibility and do something about the binge drinking. The serial killer theory is ludicrous. Get real-some wacko waiting in Riverside Park for drunken male college students to come down there so he/she can push them into the water. It would be laughable if it weren't so pathetic that students and others are in such denial about the root cause of all of these tragic drownings. "
Northsider wrote on Oct 4, 2006 7:37 PM:
" Great opening sentence, 4 times the legal limit for driving. He was not driving! How do you explain that for over 40 years we did not have one young man walk down to the river and fall/jump in? Binge drinking, is a very lame excuse for getting to the much needed answers. What did they call the drinking back in the sixties? "
The Serial Killer Does Exist wrote on Oct 4, 2006 7:32 PM:
" .....and its name is ALCOHOL. It kills EVERY SINGLE DAY. "
drinking is different nowdays wrote on Oct 4, 2006 7:27 PM:
" The way binge-drinkers drink these days enables prolonged drinking activity. Highly caffienated drinks (so-called energy drinks) are mixed with hard liqour - and the result of drinking these conncotions is a sustained ability to down the booze. It's a sad state of affairs, to be sure. "
Doesn't sound possible wrote on Oct 4, 2006 7:22 PM:
" Having a 0.32 and walking from 132 S. 3rd Street to the river levee? I know it depends upon their height and their weight to some degree, but that is extremely intoxicated. Something doesn't add up. "
Read it and weep wrote on Oct 4, 2006 7:19 PM:
" There you go conspiracy buffs. Proof that the guy was extremely intoxicated. That shoots down all of you that said the cops didn't want the blood alcohol results because the results would be low. Some of you people really need to get a life!!! "
Doesnt justify anything.... wrote on Oct 4, 2006 7:16 PM:
" I'm skeptical on the whole process how they determine BAC, but whatever..it is what it is. How does one with such a high BAC even make it to the river on their own power??...this still makes no sense. "
jw wrote on Oct 4, 2006 7:12 PM:
" A blood alcohol content between 0.30 and 0.40 is enough to cause unconsciousness in most people. A level of 0.50 is usually lethal.
0.30 is roughly a case of beer (24 pack) drunk over three hours by a 180 pound man. "
Mikey wrote on Oct 4, 2006 7:09 PM:
" From Wikipedia: "Unless a person has developed a high tolerance, a BAC rating of 0.20 represents very serious intoxication (most first-time drinkers would be passed out by about 0.15), and 0.35 represents potentially fatal alcohol poisoning. 0.40 is the accepted LD50, or lethal dose for 50% of adult humans." His 0.32% level is VERY high. I feel really bad for the yound man and his family. Where were his friends with him in that condition? "
Just a thought wrote on Oct 4, 2006 7:09 PM:
" How does this get rid of the "phantom serial killer" theory? If anything it makes it more suspicious! How can someone walk 3 blocks *that drunk* and not hurt themselves? According to police, he didn't have a single scratch on him ... weird. "
So What wrote on Oct 4, 2006 7:05 PM:
" To me this announcement just comes off as "I told you so" to dismiss the serial killer rumors. However, it's still avoiding the problem. Something HAS changed since 1997. It's not binge drinking as some studies indicate it is on the decline, despite what is put out in the press. Please focus efforts on figuring out what has changed, so that there can be a real solution. "
Sally wrote on Oct 4, 2006 6:51 PM:
" Is this the work of a phantom serial killer? "
does anyone know... wrote on Oct 4, 2006 6:51 PM:
" how much alcohol in the blood can a person tolerate before they pass out and/or die? i know it would depend mainly upon their weight. how can a person have so much alcohol in them and not pass out or drop dead? i don't get it. "
.32 B.A.C... wrote on Oct 4, 2006 6:48 PM:
" Now that the results are public I hope this will quiet all the skeptics.Anyone using reasonable judgement would conclude that Mr. Homan was extremely intoxicated. Why drink until one is incapacitated? Using common sense, refraining from binge drinking and looking after one another are all a must. Binge drinkers need to take some personal responsibility. My condolences to the Homan Family "
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