In a shocking twist, what was initially thought to be a murder case has been clarified. A British man, discovered slumped over on a bench soaked with blood last year, was, in reality, the victim of an unfortunate accident: he had passed out drunk on a knife that was inside his own bag, officials revealed this week.
Initially, authorities wrestled with the belief that Robert Brown, aged 57, had met a violent end through stabbing, upon being found on August 1, 2025, in Northampton, England. This was based on media reports from the Northampton Chronicle and Echo.
According to Northamptonshire Police, Brown’s death was the result of him dozing off and inadvertently falling onto a knife that was in his bag while seated on a bench. (Northamptonshire Police; SWNS)
Although three individuals were initially detained in connection with his death, they were later released. A coroner concluded on Thursday that Brown’s demise was, in fact, a “tragic accident.”
Investigators have deduced that Brown, who was known to have struggles with alcohol dependency, entered a deep sleep and inadvertently placed his weight on his bag, causing the knife to fatally penetrate his body.
Robert Brown, 57, had alcohol dependency issues, authorities said. (Northamptonshire Police; SWNS)
The blade penetrated the bag and all three layers of Brown’s clothing, slashing his arm and leaving him to bleed out as he slept, authorities said.
Brown’s alcoholism made him vulnerable to blood loss, experts said at a court hearing.
Police on the scene behind Auctioneers Court near Northampton town center during the investigation into the death of Robert Brown, who was found fatally injured on a bench on the towpath on Aug. 1. (Northamptonshire Police; SWNS)
Northamptonshire Police dropped the murder inquiry in February, saying Brown’s death was likely self-inflicted. Investigators noted that there was no apparent motive to murder Brown.
“We have reviewed the extensive amount of information gathered as part of the investigation, including all forensic submissions, and can confirm the evidence does not support the hypothesis that his death was a homicide,” police said at the time.