PORT TOWNSEND — A man who was found hanging from a tree behind Jefferson Healthcare hospital Wednesday morning has been identified as Harold Stuart Peacock of Port Townsend.
Peacock hanged himself from a tree behind Jefferson Healthcare and Manresa Castle in the early hours of Wednesday morning and was found by witnesses who called 9-1-1 at about 7:35 a.m.
The Port Townsend Police Department arrived by 7:40 a.m., said Police Chief Thomas Olson.
Peacock, 25, was a homeless resident who was known to have stayed at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds encampment and then the Mill Road camp, Olson said.
Officials confirmed the death was by suicide after they watched security footage of the incident that was recorded before sunrise Wednesday, Olson said.
“We’ve observed security video from the hospital and watched the incident on video, and it was very clear it was suicide,” Olson said. “Based on security video, it was confirmed that it was a suicide, and there were no other parties involved based on that.”
Peacock’s next of kin — his mother, who lives in Port Angeles, and a girlfriend, who lived with him — were contacted by 8:40 a.m. Wednesday, Olson said.
Peacock’s mother had contacted the Port Angeles Police Department that morning to report him as a missing person, as she had tried to contact him and couldn’t reach him, and his vehicle was found abandoned in Port Angeles, Olson said.
Video from the hospital showed Peacock entered the area at about 8:30 p.m. Tuesday night from Sheridan Street before hanging himself in the early morning, Olson said.
The investigation by the police is closed due to the clarity of the incident on video.
No criminal actions were observed, Olson said.
“The video would indicate that it was clearly a suicide and no foul play involved,” Olson said.
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Jefferson County reporter Zach Jablonski can be reached at 360-385-2335, ext. 5, or at zjablonski@peninsuladailynews.com.
