He Vanished During A Concert, And His Body Was Later Found In A Landfill: What Happened To Cory Barron?
In 2014, Cory Barron, a 22-year-old senior at Bowling Green State University, decided to attend a Jason Aldean concert at Progressive Field in Cleveland, Ohio. Tragically, he never made it out of the July 18 show alive.
Cory went to the concert that Friday with multiple friends, but at approximately 9:30 p.m., he left his ticketed seat to see other acquaintances, who were seated in a different section of the venue. He never returned by the end of the concert and was ultimately reported missing the next day.
The circumstances surrounding Cory’s disappearance were so strange that the FBI reportedly got involved. Investigators scoured Progressive Field and reviewed surveillance footage, but their efforts turned up nothing.
It wasn’t until days later, on July 22, 2014, that a local landfill contacted the Lorain County Sheriff’s Department. A man’s remains had been located inside a dumpster, which was transported from Progressive Field. The man, who still had his identification and ticket stub from the concert, was confirmed to be Cory Barron.
Initially, it was thought that Cory had fallen into a trash chute, and while his manner of death was undetermined, authorities noted there wasn’t foul play.
His cause of death was ruled as multiple blunt force impacts to the “head, trunk, and extremities” after plunging five stories down.
Then, eight years later, his manner of death was changed from undetermined to homicide after new information came to light.
According to Lorain County Coroner Dr. Frank Miller, that information suggested Cory had gotten into an altercation at the concert and was put into the trash chute.
“Since the death of Cory Barron in 2014, additional investigation has been conducted by private investigators and the Cleveland Division of Police. The Lorain County Coroner has been provided with information by the Cleveland Police that Cory Barron was involved in an altercation at Progressive Field prior to his disappearance and death,” reads a 2022 statement from the coroner.
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“In light of the additional information, his death was due to the actions or failure to act of another person or persons. The manner of death for Cory Barron has been changed from undetermined to homicide.”
Cuyahoga County Sheriff‘s Department Chief Deputy Aaron Reese detailed how part of the new findings were obtained by private investigators who’d been hired by Cory’s family.
“We reviewed the investigative work that was done by the private investigators and then kind of piggybacked off of that and conducted more interviews and submitted some more scientific items to be tested for DNA, some more DNA testing. And there’s still more we’re seeking to do,” he explained.
Given it’s now suspected Cory was involved in an altercation prior to his death, investigators don’t believe he willingly went into the trash chute.
“Just based on eyewitnesses, people that we’ve interviewed, we know that there was some type of incident. I would expect there to be multiple more witnesses available based on what we’ve been told by other people,” Reese added in 2022.
Once Cory’s death was ruled a homicide, investigators appealed to the public for tips, urging concertgoers to “think real hard about anything they may have seen that was out of the ordinary” and contact the Cleveland police.
Most recently, in July 2024, it was reported that authorities were closer than ever to compiling enough evidence for possibly filing criminal charges. Reese shared his belief that Cory’s case would be solved, saying at the time, “We won’t give up. This case is not stagnant. There are things, as recently as two days ago, that we were looking at.”
In the meantime, Cory’s loved ones have continued their quest for answers and justice.
“There are other people who may have this on their conscience. They may know the right thing to do is to still come forward,” his father, Matt Barron, said.
On Facebook, Matt’s sister Britta wrote, “I think of Cory all of the time. What seems like every second. But every day I have a moment. I can almost always feel it coming.”
“My throat starts to hurt, I bite the inside of my cheeks, and then I cry. Sometimes a couple of tears, sometimes a full on sob. Sometimes it’s when I’m getting ready in the morning, sometimes falling asleep, sometimes it’s triggered by something, and sometimes in a place where I try to make sure people don’t see me.”
“The hardest ones are during moments that Cory should be there, where I picture him there. Imagine what would be happening with him here. In a weird way, it’s the time of the day that I feel the closest to him.”
There is a $50,000 reward for information that results in the arrest and prosecution of those responsible for Cory’s death. Anyone with information is urged to contact the Cleveland Police Homicide Unit at (216) 623-5464.
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