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Police: Man Found Dead In Garbage Chute Was Looking For His Cell Phone

PALATINE, Ill. (STMW) -- A man thought to be missing from his home in northwest suburban Palatine was found dead in the building's trash compactor Tuesday.Roger Mirro, 56, was found dead Tuesday night at the building where he lived in the 200 block of South Clubhouse Drive, the Cook County Medical Examiner's office said.

Mirro's wife called police about 9:30 p.m. Tuesday to report her husband missing. A neighbor later told police that they had last seen Mirro about 6:30 p.m. when he came to borrow the neighbor's key to the trash room in the lower level parking garage, according to a statement from Palatine police.

Mirro told his neighbor that he had lost his cell phone and he thought it may have fallen down the trash chute, police said.

During their search of the underground parking garage, officers entered the garbage room and saw a ladder propped up against the trash compactor. Officers then found Mirro's body inside the compactor "with obvious signs of trauma" caused by the compactor, police said in a statement.

Police said preliminary findings suggest the death "to be a tragic accident."

An autopsy Wednesday ruled he died of multiple crushing injuries and ruled his death an accident, according to the medical examiner's office.

(Source: Sun-Times Media Wire © Chicago Sun-Times 2013. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

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