BLUE CHIP, INDIANA SUICIDE?

[magoo]

Man dead in burning car at Blue Chip

August 24, 2007
Post-Tribunecorrespondent

A 63-year-old man was found dead early Thursday inside his burning car in Michigan City outside Blue Chip Casino.
So far, authorities are withholding his name until immediate family is reached and notified of his death.

Authorities, though, did reveal the man is from Mishawaka and of Asian descent.

An official ruling on cause and manner of death has not been made but clues might be contained on papers written in Korean recovered outside the charred vehicle, said LaPorte County Deputy Coroner Mark Huffman.

Huffman said it appears the papers were intentionally placed in plastic to keep them from getting wet.

"The police department is going to get them translated,'' said Huffman.

According to police, firefighters were first dispatched at 3:45 a.m. on a report of a vehicle fire outside the riverboat off U.S. 12 on Michigan City's east side.

The man was found deceased in the driver's seat as firefighters were attempting to put out the flames shooting from inside the car in the casino parking lot, police said.

Huffman said some type of an accelerant "probably gasoline'' was detected in the vehicle.

A gas can was also recovered from the car, according to Huffman.

Huffman speculated the man could have taken his life but emphasized it's still too early in the investigation to make an official ruling.

He hopes any surveillance video that Blue Chip Casino might have is helpful in determining exactly what transpired.

"He did go out to the car and it caught fire. As to what happened, I don't know,'' Huffman said.

Huffman said an autopsy will be performed but, so far, it's not known if drugs or alcohol were involved.