Police have provided new details about the Thanksgiving Day death of an 8-year-old boy injured at a luxury resort in Phoenix.
The child, identified as Luke Linnett from Iowa, died on Nov. 28 after being struck by a piece of concrete from a “sprite” statue at the Arizona Biltmore Resort the day before.
Police stated that no foul play was suspected, and the death was ruled an accident. The investigation was closed on Dec. 4 after the medical examiner determined that the boy died from blunt force trauma, which matched the findings from the police investigation.
A newly released police report obtained by The Arizona Republic provided details on how the statue fell and the events leading up to the fatal injury.
How did the statue fall?
According to Phoenix police, about 8:45 a.m. on Nov. 27, Luke Linnett and his sister were playing in a grassy area near the statues while their mother, grandmother, and uncle waited outside the front entrance for a food delivery. Surveillance footage reviewed by police showed Luke climbing on a statue that was not secured at its base. The statue tipped toward him, fell off its pedestal, and toppled onto him, causing fatal head injuries.