Police: Death not a murder

Published 1:52 pm Wednesday, September 8, 2010

By Amanda Lillie, Tribune staff

AUSTIN – There was no foul play involved in the death of 19-year-old Ardis Keith Parker, Police Chief Brian Krueger announced Wednesday morning.

Krueger refused to comment on the nature of the death but said more information will be released by the county coroner in two to three weeks.

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Parker, a resident of Austin, died early Thursday morning at Austin Medical Center. He had been transported to AMC by an unnamed person early Thursday morning and was alive upon arrival at the hospital.

The Austin Police Department and Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension had been conducting an investigation at 800 10th Ave. NW where Parker was a renter.

APD was called to AMC at around 12:05 a.m. Sept. 2 in response to the death.

Krueger said Parker was not alone at the time of his death. He also cleared up rumors of foul play on the part of Parker’s alleged girlfriend, saying, “That is not what we learned in our investigation. There was no foul play.”

A bouquet of flowers was laying beneath a tree in front of Parker’s residence Tuesday evening and there appeared to be activity in the home, including furniture sitting outside the back door. Krueger said he is not sure if the house is being cleared or not.