A Georgia father of five whose remains were found in Louisiana on Monday reportedly died of an accidental overdose — but how his body was wrapped in a rolled-up carpet in a vacant lot. A mystery remains.
The family of Nathan Millard, 42, said investigators told them Tuesday he died of an overdose, a local CBS affiliate station reported. WAFB reported.
Baton Rouge police officials said they do not suspect foul play, although the official cause of Millard’s death is pending a full autopsy.
“There were no signs of internal or external trauma,” Cpt. Kevin Haynes said during a press conference on Tuesday.
However, police are still investigating how Millard’s body was dumped in a vacant lot in Baton Rouge — and why her body was wrapped in plastic and rolled in a carpet.
Heinz said police believe Millard died at another location and that a person moved her body to the lot.
“There doesn’t appear to be any foul play at this point,” Heinz said. “I know he was put there, obviously by someone else. We want to know who and why.”
Investigators previously said Millard’s debit card was used by an individual — possibly a homeless man — to withdraw cash from several ATMs within the city. According to 11 Alive.
Millard’s widow, Amber, said his wallet and phone were found on the ground in a separate area from his remains.
Millard was visiting Baton Rouge to pitch a potential gig for his Conyers-based construction company. He went to a Louisiana State University basketball game and an Irish pub with a customer on the night of February 22.
He left the bar alone around 11:30 pm and returned to his hotel room a short distance away but was not heard from the next morning.
Police revealed Tuesday that Millard went to a Greyhound bus station about an hour after leaving the bar. A security guard there offered to call him a ride or call the police, but he refused.
“He didn’t seem hurt. He felt like he was out of place,” Haynes said of the guard. “He declined that offer and went there of his own free will.”
Investigators were able to piece together Millard’s movements over the following hours through surveillance footage from local businesses in the city. He was last seen alive on camera at 4:30 a.m. on February 23, the police captain said.
That same morning, Millard’s client called police to request a welfare check on him at 9 a.m. after Millard failed to show up for their meeting and did not respond to messages.
His body was found more than a week later at 3:30 a.m. on March 6, police said.
Millard is survived by his wife Amber, their 7-year-old daughter, two teenage sons from a previous marriage and two teenage stepsons.
Amber said the last time she spoke to her husband was when he FaceTimed her to show her the seats she and her client had secured for an LSU basketball game.
“It was nothing I ever thought would be my last call,” said Amber.
