Norristown Police: Probe Of Delayed Discovery In Noble Street Homicide

NORRISTOWN, PA — Police are investigating why it apparently took seven hours until the body of 56-year-old Stephen Bates was found dead on the sidewalk of 500 block of Noble Street, police said Wednesday.

Bates, 56, of Norristown was found at 6 a.m. lying under shaded trees on the sidewalk in the 500 block of Noble Street, about 25 to 50 yards from the intersection with Marshall Street.

The crime scene then was taped off for several hours Tuesday as police collected evidence, including bullet casings.

The Montgomery County coroner’s office is conducting an autopsy today to determine the cause and manner of death.

By Wednesday afternoon, a memorial of balloons and flowers was displayed at the scene where the victim’s body was discovered.

“Children were on the way to school when the police were collecting evidence,” a resident at the scene who declined to be identified said Wednesday.

Norristown Lt. Michael Bishop said the initial call about a shot fired came into police at 11 p.m.

“When the first call came in it was not very specific,” Bishop said Wednesday. “The houses are close-by and there is a lot of echoing.”

Bishop said the officers spoke to residents and were looking in the area to determine where the shot was fired and did not find a victim.

Norristown Police Chief Derrick E. Wood on Tuesday night said in a prepared statement issued to Patch.com that an internal investigation is being conducted in response to the community concern related to the homicide victim discovered on the 500 block of Noble Street.

According to Chief Wood’s statement:
“The required response for the responding officer(s) is to drive to the area where the shots were reported and to determine if a crime has occurred or is in progress.

In this instance, where there was a single call for shots fired, several officers did survey the area and spoke to multiple people who gave different locations for the area where the gunshots came from.
The officers may not have left their vehicles because there was no activity in the area, and multiple locations were given. The officers surveyed for 28 minutes before leaving to handle other assignments.
The Norristown Police Department policy is that a foot canvass of the impacted area will occur at all times, and this continues to be the policy in the future.”