Relatives identified David Edward Skiles after crews recovered his remains from the water in Toledo. His grieving family wants answers about his final moments. He was 49 years old.
Toledo fire crews recovered the body on Thursday. How Skiles reached the river remains unknown. Fire and police officials said the investigation continues. Officials have not determined a cause of death.
His sister, Tabitha Ilsley, said Skiles frequently walked near that stretch of water. She saw him on Saturday night. He asked her to visit a casino. She declined the invitation.
“He’s the one I grew up with, out of all of them. He’s the only one that I knew. He’s all that I knew,” Ilsley said.
Early Sunday morning, Skiles called their mother from another person’s telephone. Ilsley said he called his mother every night. That call was the family’s final contact with him.
“We don’t know what happened… like, we don’t have answers or nothing,” Ilsley said.
His father, Charles Skiles, is mourning a second son lost in three years. He said the family struggles to afford funeral expenses. A GoFundMe account gathers donations for the costs.
“Everybody wants to know so they can put some flowers or something there… somewhere close by where we can make a little memorial for them,” Charles Skiles said.
Local death investigations in Toledo involve police detectives and emergency responders. Officials examine recovery sites and gather physical evidence. Medical examiners determine the cause of death.
The relatives hope to place a small memorial near the water. They wait for answers.
