A 61-year-old man identified as James Rouley was found dead in his wheelchair outside a Port Arthur convenience store on Jan. 27 during subfreezing temperatures. He was reportedly wearing only a hospital gown and a wristband and may have been released from a hospital the day before. Local shelter leaders urged residents to use available services; an autopsy has been ordered to determine the cause of death.
61-Year-Old Homeless Man Found Dead in Wheelchair Outside Port Arthur Store During Freezing Storm
The convenience store where James Rouley's body was found.Google Maps
Port Arthur, Texas — A 61-year-old homeless man, identified as James Rouley, was found dead in his wheelchair outside a convenience store on Jan. 27 amid subfreezing temperatures, officials said. He was reportedly wearing only a hospital gown and a wristband and had no shoes. Authorities have ordered an autopsy to determine the cause and manner of death.
Rouley was discovered early that Tuesday morning near a dumpster at a business on Turtle Creek Drive and 9th Avenue after a local motorist stopped and checked on him. Temperatures that morning were in the low 20s F, and witnesses said a drink found with him was frozen.
A passerby, Daniel December, told local reporters he touched Rouley and believed he was already dead. "He had a hospital blanket but no shoes. He appeared to only have a hospital gown and some KFC. He had a drink and it was frozen. I called police right away," December said.
Justice of the Peace Joseph Guillory II confirmed Rouley had no fixed address and said it appears the man had been released from a hospital the day before he was found. An autopsy has been ordered to determine the exact cause and manner of death; investigators are awaiting its results.
Local Reaction and Shelter Response
Patricia Henderson, director of the Port Cities Rescue Mission, publicly criticized the circumstances surrounding Rouley’s death and urged residents to show more compassion. "Oh my God, like why didn't someone have enough compassion?" she told CBS affiliate KFDM. "That is what's wrong with the world right now. People don't have compassion for another human being. Someone, anyone could have dropped him off. We have shelters open, so things like that do not happen here."
"My thing is that we're here. We are available. Please don't let someone stay out in the cold when they could come," Henderson said, noting the mission offers more than 30 beds.
The fatality came amid a broader winter storm that prompted the City of Port Arthur to issue a Declaration of Disaster on Jan. 24 because of Winter Storm Fern. The declaration warned of an imminent threat of widespread or severe damage, injury, or loss of life or property from freezing weather and icy conditions, and local shelters were opened to provide refuge for those in need.
Officials with the Port Arthur Police Department and Justice Guillory did not immediately provide further comment to media outlets. The community awaits autopsy results for confirmation of cause and manner of death.
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