The group is said to have known the man before the incident
Four teenagers have been taken into custody after the body of a homeless man was found at the bottom of a cliff.
The body of Dale Simmons, 42, was found on April 14 near Chalkpit Hill in Chatham, Kent. Police are treating the death as suspicious, and four teenagers, ages between 16 and 18, have been taken into custody for further questioning. Police believe the group knew Simmons before his death.
Confirming the sad news on Facebook, Peter Simmons announced the death of his “only son.”
“It is with a sad and heavy heart Dee and I announce the death of our only son Dale Simmons. Rest in peace,” he said.
A Kent police spokesperson confirmed that his body was found by officers “at around 11am on Thursday.”
“It is believed he died at some point the previous evening after suffering injuries consistent with a fall from height and his death is being treated as suspicious,” they added. “The man’s next of kin have been informed and a murder investigation is now being carried out by Major Crime detectives from the Kent and Essex Serious Crime Directorate.”
Speaking on his death, one friend wrote: “Oh wow just seen about Dale Simmons, fly high another one taken far too soon.”
CHATHAM: A man in his 40s who died after falling from a height in the Chalk Pit Hill area Wednesday evening (13 April) has been named locally as Dale Simmons. Kent Police say a man (aged 18) and three boys (aged 17, 16 and 16) have been arrested as part of a murder investigation. pic.twitter.com/xDTHFbCCZW
— Kent 999s (@Kent_999s) April 17, 2022
Neil Charlick, chief executive of homeless charity Gillingham Street Angels, said, “It’s very sad for him and his family.”
He continued: “He was local and well-known in the area and to us. He was a nice fella – a lovely and bubbly type of guy.
“He was a sound bloke and nobody had a bad word to say about him. He was always lovely and friendly.’
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