Cause of death determined for man found in burned garage on North Horton Street

The death of a Dayton man whose body was found after a garage fire on North Horton Street in September has been ruled an accident.

>> RELATED: Body found inside Dayton garage that caught fire Monday morning

The Montgomery County Coroner’s Office determined that 53-year-old Patrick Northern died from “inhalation of products of combustion.”

Northern’s body was found Sept. 10 in the North Horton Street more than 24 hours after the fire.

Dayton fire crews who responded to the fire in the early morning hours of Sept. 9 said it appeared someone was living in the garage, but that no one had been injured in the blaze.

After Northern’s body was discovered, police were called. Neighbors and others had questions and were hoping an autopsy would provide answers.

“I don’t know if they missed it or if somebody killed the boy back there and put him back there. I don’t have a clue,” one neighbor said.

>> Others knew about body in Dayton garage before it was reported, woman says

The coroner’s report completed last week and released Wednesday reveals Northern’s death was fire-related. He had “soot on the tongue and in the upper and lower airways” and carbon monoxide in his body.

It also suggested he was hurt at the time of his death, with “blunt force trauma” to his head, torso and extremities. He also had methamphetamine in his system, the report stated.

The garage fire also was ruled an accident.

Northern’s father, who did not want to comment, said he holds no ill will toward the fire department.

Fire officials said the chief would be available Thursday for comment.