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Body found outside Blockbuster in Batavia

By Howard B. Owens

We've learned from multiple sources -- though there is yet no official confirmation -- that a body was found about 10:15 p.m. outside the Blockbuster store on Lewiston Road in Batavia.

The City of Batavia Police Department has not yet released a statement about the discovery and there is no information available at this time about the condition of the body or exactly where it was located.

Our news partner WBTA has attempted to learn more information about the discovery.

Here's one e-mail account we received at 11: 52 p.m. about the situation:

I was just at Sportos and was told that there was a body found behind  Blockbuster. There was police going to the scene at about 10:15. A news van  is present right now with about 3 police cars. This was confirmed by a  Trooper going into the restaurant. He could tell us no more.

Gary Spencer

Found this on WHEC News 10, Rochester:

Body found outside Blockbuster in Batavia

News 10NBC has learned that a manager at the Blockbuster Video in Batavia found a dead body outside the store tonight.

The store is located in the Tops plaza on Lewiston Road, near the Batavia Downs Racetrack.

An employee at Blockbuster says his manager found the body next to the store. We also received two calls in our newsroom regarding the incident.

Batavia Police tell us there is no visible trauma to the body. Police are not identifying the body at this time, but they say it is a male. The body is being transported to the Medical Examiner's office.

The Genesee County Sheriff's office tells us that they are "investigating," but would not elaborate on what they were investigating, or if a body was found.

For more Rochester, NY news, go to our website, www.whec.com.

Nov 8, 2009, 9:00am Permalink
Josh Konieczny

Yeah, heard this on the scanner last night. My dad was over at tops when the city, Mercy, and police were responding. The dispatcher said there was a man down in the bushes, and I could of swore a little while after they were on scene that they said he went into cardiac arrest. Although, the dispatcher did say the coroners were on scene.

Nov 8, 2009, 11:45am Permalink
Gary Spencer

found this on The Daily News website:

The death of a 27-year-old man found in shrubs next to Blockbuster Video Saturday night has been ruled a suicide, city police said.

James M. Maher, whose address was listed as the Batavia VA Medical Center, was found unresponsive by a passerby at 9:30 p.m. Saturday.

City police along with police from the VA arrived and an investigation revealed Maher committed suicide.

His family, from Mechanicville in Saratoga County, was notified, police said.

Nov 8, 2009, 12:04pm Permalink

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