Man found dead in Cascades Motel was strangled

Cascades Motel
Cascades Motel

A 51-year-old South Pittsburg man who was found dead in an East Ridge motel on Oct. 16 was strangled, according to a preliminary report from the Hamilton County Medical Examiner's office.

The report ruled Gino Pickett's death a homicide.

Pickett was found lying on the floor of a room at the Cascades Motel in East Ridge after a woman called police and said that "her boyfriend was laid out."

The door to the room was open when officers arrived.

Pickett had cuts, bruises and scrapes on his face and neck, according the report, as well as abrasions on his neck. He may have also had an underlying heart condition that contributed to his death, according to the report.

It's not unusual for violence to occur at the Cascades Motel on Ringgold Road, Times Free Press records show. In February 2015, 21-year-old Reginald Ballard was shot to death at the motel in what investigators believe was a robbery gone wrong.

In April, a woman was shot in the leg at the motel and survived, according to East Ridge police. And in June, a suspect robbed the motel at gunpoint, prompting a police chase.

East Ridge police did not immediately return a request for comment on Wednesday.

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