"Unfortunately, his death is consistent with a suicide," says Brian Feik, a Lakewood Police detective. "Messages in his phone indicate he took being fired from his job very hard and was in a bad mental space."
Henry had worked for =the Brown Palace as a handyman, fixing up everything from the air conditioning to loose toilet paper holders. Having spent most of his life in Denver, he considered the Brown Palace an "icon" and felt like the "man of the hour" when he got the job, he told Westword. But Henry also felt hopeless after a series of misfortunes sent him back out onto the street and into homelessness.
Readers share thoughts about Joe Henry's life and death on the Westword Facebook posts of his story. Says Rhett:
I hope the people who normally victim-blame when they see homeless posts on here read and absorb this tragic story.Adds Tom:
I feel so sad for this man; such an undignified end. I met an elderly homeless man recently who moved here with his wife from Arkansas for "adventure" — then the pandemic came, she got sick and he spent their life savings trying to save her life, to no avail. Now he is a homeless man in his '70s, heartbroken and alone. What is the point of living in the richest country in the history of the world if we don't have free health care and sufficient housing for all?Responds Joshua:
I was homeless in Denver during winter; he ain't wrong.Offers Rachel:
They say the older you get, the more conservative you get, but not me. Housing, food, employment and health care are human rights.Wonders Jennifer:
How was he not able to get a place to live if he had a job? I know dishwashers there make close to $20/hour (I just saw a job post recently), and if he was a handyman, he was probably making more than that. Even if he had to get a roommate, he shouldn't have been homeless.Responds Lindsay:
$20 an hour isn't going to secure housing. Especially when you need a few thousand upfront for deposit and first/last month's rent.Notes Tødd:
One of the sad things is that the hotel might have helped him out in a number of ways if he had told them what was going on. There are a lot of smart people who work at and manage the hotel who could have mentored him toward a solution. They might have even allowed him to use one of the rooms in exchange for being an on-call engineer.Suggests Andrea:
This publication has become a complete joke. Trying to shame a long-standing, well-respected business and an outreach program because of this man's poor choices is pathetic. The struggles homeless folks face are tragic, but no one can help someone who won't help themselves.Counters Damon:
It can happen to anyone faster than you'd think.Concludes Kris:
How sad. If he would have only held out for a few more days, another week...people were ready and willing to help him.What did you think of Joe Henry's story? Has it changed how you feel about people experiencing homelessness? Post a comment or share your thoughts at [email protected].
