Fan's death at Turner Field ruled a suicide

Michael King, USA TODAY Sports 6:02 p.m. EDT September 13, 2013


ATLANTA — The death of a man who fell from an upper deck platform at Turner Field has been ruled a suicide.
The medical examiner's office says Ronald Homer, 30, of Conyers, Ga., died as a result of blunt force trauma to his torso, which would be consistent with a fall from a great height. Toxicology reports have not yet been returned in the case.
Homer plunged 65 feet from an upper deck area at Turner Field onto a private parking lot on Aug. 12.
Homer's family denies that the death was the result of a suicide. They have retained an attorney and would not speak with Atlanta's 11Alive News on Friday.
Homer's family, at the time of the incident, said he went out to the platform to smoke and may have lost his footing on the wet pavement. The game was under a rain delay at the time of Homer's death.
Homer's father said he was a good-natured man who was not drinking at the time of his death.
"He wasn't drinking, he doesn't do drugs. He's just a big ole' tall, good-natured kid that loved the Braves," said his father shortly after Homer's death.
On the evening of the incident, Matthew Cox, an Auburn University student, said a worker told him he had seen the man standing alone at the black iron railing inside the stairwell and the next moment the man was falling to the ground.
Cox said another worker said to him, "That guy just jumped over."
The stairwell is across from the concession stand at Section 413 and overlooks the walkway the Braves players use to walk to and from their cars in a gated parking lot. The area on the ground, a brushed concrete, was cordoned off with yellow crime tape.