What Really Happened To Harley Dilly?
Port Clinton teen found in chimney
Harley Dilly, a fourteen-year-old freshman from Port Clinton, Ohio was last seen alive on the 20th of December 2019. The young teen who is said to have been a caring but troubled soul, left for school around 06:15 am after asking his mother for the day off due to not feeling well. His mother, Heather Dilly, told her son to get his “ass to school” as it was the last day before the Christmas break. This interaction would be reported to be the last interaction the mother had with her son.
The following day at around 23:50, Harley’s father Marcus Dilly went to the Port Clinton police department to report his son missing. During the filing of a missing persons report, Officer Cochran asked Marcus Dilly if he believed his son was in danger. Dilly said no before stating that it was the time he had gone unseen that was the cause of concern. However, during the process of making the report, Marcus mentions that Harley disappearing on a Friday wasn’t abnormal and that they have never reported these disappearances with the police. In an interview with the BCI, Heather Dilly would mention that Harley would always come back by 11 am on the Saturday to shower and change before leaving again.
Harley was last seen wearing a red puffer jacket, dark coloured sweatpants and slip-on shoes.
Marcus also informs police that Harley had Autism and Attention Deficit Hypersensitivity Disorder (ADHD) but that he was high functioning and very smart. Heather Dilly also mentions Harley’s illnesses in her interview with BCI and adds that he was being assessed for Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) and that he also had PTSD due to the beatings he endured as a young child from his older sister.
When asked if Harley would know to get out of the cold, Marcus informed police that Harley would as he was a “baby when it comes to the cold”. Marcus also states that Harley was angry at his parents after he broke his phone and they refused to buy him a new one, telling him that he would have to earn it. In the interview with BCI, Heather states that it was her old phone that Harley had broken after she refused to have his screen fixed.
Harley is said to have loved gaming, making YouTube videos to which he has informed his viewers that his mother had locked him out of the house after he had informed her that he didn’t want to go with her to visit someone as he wanted to do his homework. Harley also loved singing and was a part of the school choir which the Monday prior to his disappearance, his father attended the choir concert that Harley participated in. It is also said that Harley would drop pennies in the street for others to pick them up.
After conducting the missing persons report, Officer Cochran went to the homes of Harley’s friends and ex-girlfriend to try and locate Harley. He wasn’t found. Officer Cochran then sent out a BOLO alert on Harley for other officers to keep an eye out on the young teen.
After almost a month of looking for Harley, Port Clinton police received a tip to search a home on Fulton Street, 400 meters from Harley’s home. Chief Hickman stated that they had examined the exterior of the home that was under renovation during the initial search for Harley but there was no sign of forced entry so they didn’t proceed any further with the home.
At 16:10 hrs, Special Agent John Wagner, Chief Hickman, Officer Cipiti, Special Agent Ryan Emahiser entered the home on Fulton street. It was when searching the second floor that Harley’s upper clothing and glasses were found in two of the bedrooms. After breaking through the wall to get to the chimney, they located Harley’s body that was in a severe state of decomposition. At around 16:30 hrs, Special Agent Ryan Emahiser contacted Special Agent Megan Roberts to inform her that Harley’s body had been found.
However, Special Agents Megan Roberts and David Hammond, despite arriving in Port Clinton at 17:45 hrs and shortly after, were not allowed access to the scene until 18:30 hrs. Special Agent Ryan Emahiser had requested that they do not enter the home and to stay at the Port Clinton Police station until a warrant had been issued. During that time, it appears that immediate parts of the scene had been tidied as in the photos taken by the arriving officers shows one room with a blue blanket, polka dot linen and a small white box dishevelled around a black plastic bag, the photo also shows a ladder. In photos taken by the arriving BCI agents, the blue blanket and polka dot linen are seen folded on top of the black plastic bag and the white box along with the ladder aren’t seen. Harley’s red puffer jacket was also moved from the floor beside the chimney to hanging on the room door.
It is speculated by the BCI and Port Clinton police that Harley climbed up the antenna near the house and entered through the chimney. The inner diameters of the chimney were 9 by 13 inches. Harley is said to have been small for his age as he stood at 4”9 and wore clothes aged 10–12. The size of Harley’s clothes indicates that his shoulder width would have been around 11.8 inches to 12.5 inches. Whilst in the chimney, upon realising that he was stuck, it is claimed that Harley removed his jacket, hooded sweatshirt, a zip-up sweatshirt, t-shirt, sweatpants and shoes, in order to provide more room to breathe. He is then said to have pushed his clothes out of the vent that was 6 and a half feet from the chimney floor. There were no cuts or scraps on any part of Harley’s body. Harley’s glasses were also found outside of the chimney in a different room.
The position that Harley’s body was found inside of the chimney shows his elbows near his face with his right hand near his back and his left hand near his chest. His feet were towards the floor which gave the appearance that he was standing, his knees were also slightly bent. His head was positioned facing towards the roof.
Harley’s cause of death is reported to be compressed asphyxiation. The report from his autopsy also indicates that he had dried pressure indentations to his arms, left costal margin- left side of his chest- and upper abdomen. He also had a fluid build up in the brain, dust on his body and face but no dust was found in his airwaves.
There are many misleading aspects to the case which has resulted in many people’s suspicion on whether Harley’s case is in fact a cover up or a case that was investigated poorly.
- Harley was facing the opposite direction from the vent he allegedly pushed his clothes through.
- Harley’s upper clothes were found in a different room from his glasses.
- It is in reports that Harley pushed his upper clothing out of the vent yet one of the officers stated that Harley had “Kicked his jacket out of the vent”.
- Photos taken by arriving officers and the BCI show differences in the location of the south room.
- Harley’s jacket was moved from the floor and put on the door before investigating BCI officers arrived.
- Special Agents Megan Roberts and David Hammond weren’t allowed to enter or go near the house for up to forty-five minutes (S/A Roberts) and thirty minutes (S/A Hammond) after their arrival to Port Clinton.
- There were no external wounds other than pressure marks on Harley’s body despite moving around within the small space where he would only have 1.2 inches to half an inch of movement of his arms and shoulders.
- Harley was 4”9 and the vent was 6 and a half feet above the chimney floor. ( I asked my sister to measure the height of my eleven-year-old niece (4”11 ½) and asked if she could reach something at 6”6. My sister replied saying that she couldn’t even reach the top of her Dad’s head who is exactly 6”). There was no mention as to how it would have been possible for Harley to reach the vent.
- Reports indicate that Marcus Dilly signed into work at 5 am on the 20th of December 2019 and that it was his signature on the sheet. However, on the sign in sheet, there isn’t a sign in time for Dilly.
- Using the tracking device from the waste disposal truck used by Dilly, his movements of the day were recorded. However, after leaving the Republic services facility at 08:12, his whereabouts aren’t tracked again until 09:05 am which shows he went home for six minutes, leaving at 09:11 am. By driving, it takes eighteen minutes to get from the Republic Services facility to the Dilly home however, forty-three minutes of time is unaccounted for.
- In her statement to the police- missing person’s case, Heather Dilly reports that Harley entered her room at 06:15 to ask if he can stay home from school and she knew this because she rolled over to check the time on the clock. In an interview with Cleveland news, she is asked by the reporter if that is the last time she saw Harley. She appears to correct the reporter by saying “I didn’t see him, I talked to him. There is a difference”.
- Colleagues of Marcus Dilly said that after Harley went missing, Dilly appeared to be bragging about the helicopters etc that were looking for his son and that a week after Harley’s disappearance, Dilly informed them that he didn’t believe Harley would be found alive.
- The cement on the bricks surrounding the where the vent was were a lighter shade of grey compared to the cement on other parts of the chimney. This gave the perception that the bricks surrounding the hole were removed before being placed back shortly before Harley’s body was found.
