Dalton man found dead in basement

A Dalton, Ga., man who had murder charges against him dismissed in November was found dead in his grandmother’s basement.

Authorities believe he died of natural causes.

A family member found 34-year-old Bryan Dennington on his couch Friday, days after he last was seen alive, Dalton Police Department spokesman Bruce Frazier said.

Dennington had lived in his grandmother’s basement for several years.

There were no obvious signs of trauma to his body, Whitfield County Coroner Bobbie Dixon said. Dennington’s toxicology report was sent to the crime lab and won’t be available for several weeks, she said.

Police also found no signs of suicide, and there wasn’t a note left behind, Frazier said.

Dennington had two sons, his obituary shows. His funeral is today at 3 p.m. at the Pleasant Grove Chapel of Julian Peeples Funeral Home.

Last April, Dennington was charged with multiple counts, including felony murder, after he was involved in a fatal stabbing with his friend William Vaughn.

The men had been in an argument in the car before the fight started, authorities said. But after Dennington was arrested and spent six months in jail, a Whitfield County grand jury dismissed his case.

Prosecutors said the evidence showed Dennington was acting in self-defense.