Man found in Lincoln Park is Cook County’s 9th cold-related death

A homeless man found dead Friday in Lincoln Park is the ninth cold-related death of the season in Cook County.

John B. Weber, 48, was found unresponsive outside in the park at 325 W. Diversey just after 7 a.m. Friday, according to police and the Cook County medical examiner’s office.

Weber, whose last known address was in the 700 block of North LaSalle, was dead at the scene at 7:29 a.m., authorities said.

An autopsy Saturday determined he died of cold exposure, with alcohol intoxication a secondary cause. His death was ruled an accident.

Eight other people have been found to have died of cold-related causes in Cook County since Oct. 9, according to the medical examiner’s office.

The Nov. 19 death of a 26-year-old man in Tinley Park also was probably cold-related, but a determination on the cause and manner of his death still remained inconclusive Saturday pending further studies, a medical examiner’s spokesman said.

Last season, there were 32 confirmed cold-related deaths in Cook County.