HUNTINGTON -- Hypothermia may have contributed to the death of a man whose body was found Monday morning near the doorstep to Trinity Episcopal Church in downtown Huntington.

The Huntington Police Department identified the man as John Wesley Walker, 41, of Huntington. Police Chief Skip Holbrook said his officers found no immediate indications of foul play in Walker's death.

Cabell County 911 received word of the man from a passerby about 7 a.m. The National Weather Service recorded a temperature of 6 degrees one hour earlier at Tri-State Airport. The wind chill was 9 below zero.

The church is located at 5th Avenue and 11th Street. The investigation forced police to close a portion of 11th Street on Monday morning.

The state Medical Examiner's Office was scheduled to analyze Walker's body to determine an exact cause of death. Holbrook said witnesses found Walker in medical distress, and he died before paramedics provided assistance. His body was partially nude, and Holbrook said that is consistent with hypothermia.

"You become disoriented and oftentimes there is a sensation that you are overheating," Holbrook said in describing hypothermia. "People do try to get their clothing loose to where it ventilates."

Authorities believe Walker had been living at a residence in the 700 block of Jackson Avenue. Holbrook said Walker had a separate medical condition and did not have a job. He said one witness claimed to have spent time with Walker at a local homeless shelter.

Blood stains were visible on a white door at the church's side entrance and on a handrail near the main entrance. Holbrook said investigators believe Walker tried to enter the church for shelter. The chief said the bloodstains could be linked to various cuts incurred from falling.

The Rev. R. Kevin Kelly, rector at Trinity Episcopal, said human life is precious and Christmastime makes many more aware of that.

"This kind of loss is especially poignant to us, even though we didn't know Mr. Walker," he said. "I do find some comfort in knowing that, whatever happened, in his time of great need, he turned to the church to seek safety and refuge. I'm glad to know people still think of the church that way."

The Herald-Dispatch contacted Walker's residence, and a person there described the deceased as a good man.

Lynn Clagg, a spokeswoman for the Huntington City Mission, said her agency does not have any record of prior visits by Walker. She was grieved to hear news someone died one block from her agency. She said the City Mission does not turn anyone away when the temperature falls below 40 degrees.

"There is never a reason for someone to stay out in the elements like that," she said. "A cold night like (Sunday) night means people actually will freeze, if they choose to stay out in the elements."

The Mayo Clinic defines hypothermia as anytime more heat escapes from the body than it can produce. Signs and symptoms may include loss of mental and physical abilities. Prolonged exposure to cold air can cause hypothermia, along with cold water in milder weather. Typically the condition is not fatal, but the Mayo Clinic estimates it kills 700 people nationally each year.

John Mendez, who directs the Cabell-Huntington Coalition for the Homeless, said hypothermia can be especially serious with extreme temperatures. He said some could reach the point of no return in 30 to 45 minutes.

"The body begins to shut down," he said.

Indications are Walker had a place to live, but Mendez said his death provides an example about why affordable housing is important. He said the community must move past its desire to cure homelessness with blankets and temporary shelter. He said the true answer is low-cost, permanent housing.

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Curtis Johnson/The Herald-Dispatch The Huntington Police Department investigates a suspicious death. Someone discovered the body about 7 a.m. Monday, Dec. 22, 2008, on the doorstep of Trinity Episcopal Church at 5th Avenue and 11th Street.

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