Retiree Recalls Homeless Man Found Dead in Concord Woods

St. Louis County Police have identified the body found in the woods behind a Concord Village shopping plaza as James R. Alber, 59, and believe he died of natural causes, said Sgt. James McWilliams, aide to Chief Tim Fitch.

Alber is remembered by local retiree Charlie Letchworth. Letchworth said he knew Alber as “Jay,” a homeless man who frequented local fast food restaurants and did odd jobs, including mow his lawn every summer.

Letchworth said that though Alber sometimes claimed to live in a nearby apartment complex and work nights for Pro Bass in Springfield, MO, his homelessness was given away by his routine. Letchworth recalls seeing him often at Burger King, White Castle and McDonald's, and that he would often go into the restrooms for half an hour or more in the morning, presumably to clean up. He often spent his days reading at the St. Louis County Library, or watching TV for free in the lobby of .

“He covered up being homeless very well,” Letchworth said, adding that Alber was very intelligent.

For the past several years, Letchworth paid Alber to mow his lawn during the summer, always dropping him off after at a local restaurant or public place. Letchworth said when he saw the news about a body that had been decomposing for a month found by two teens in the woods behind the Burger King near Lindbergh Boulevard and Baptist Church Road, he knew it must be Alber.

“When they put that on the news, he had been missing for four or five weeks,” Letchworth said.

Letchworth was used to running into Alber around the area once or twice a week, but hadn’t seen him since he’d last cut the grass a month earlier. As far back as Letchworth could remember, Alber had never been gone for any length of time like this before.

Police are waiting for the results of the toxicology test before officially closing the case, but at the moment they believe Alber died of natural causes. Letchworth said Alber had mentioned having a heart attack 10 years ago. Alber may also have had a drinking problem, Letchworth said. Letchworth recalls Alber once dropping a paper bag which turned out to contain a bottle of vodka.

According to Letchworth, Alber said he had two sons in their early 20s and a wife who lived in Jefferson County, MO. McWilliams said police have notified next-of-kin.