Story of homeless Bemidji man’s death not what it appeared
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The story of David Williams' death, a homeless man who died last month in Bemidji, Minn., was a compelling one in the Bemidji Pioneer earlier this month.
Williams, 53, fought in the Gulf War, it said, coming home with post-traumatic stress disorder. He was abused by the church he attended, it said. He lived under a bridge for a year, where he was assaulted the night of death. And the paper reported the family was unhappy with how the police investigated the death.
Other than sleeping under the bridge, and now being dead, none of that is true, it turns out.
The paper has posted an editor's note above the story:
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EDITOR'S NOTE: The Pioneer learned Sunday that several pieces of David Williams' life, as reported in the story below, happened differently or not at all.
Ed Williams, David's father, said his son was not a Gulf War veteran and was never sexually abused by a priest, contradicting the Pioneer's reporting and statements released by the Peoples Church, where David was living. "Under the influence, he had a tendency to tell some pretty tall stories," Ed said. "He was a very helpful person and had a kind heart. He didn't need to tell these stories."
Disputing further the Pioneer's reporting and the church's statements, Williams' family said David was not disappointed with how police handled a case in which David was assaulted while sleeping. "He always spoke highly of the police, even when he was in a bit of trouble," Ed said. "I have so much admiration for the help we received from the Bemidji Police Department."
David, his brother Ward Williams added, was born in Fergus Falls, Minn., not Bemidji.
