MI- Frozen homeless man died holding 97 cents, no photos of his son

Reporter attempts to track various pieces of information about Mr. Pauli, except one important fact, did anyone visit him while he was in prison? There is an answer to this question if one looks for it. At least he is now in a far better place, and some will remember him.

2-20-2009 Michigan:

I offer up a smorgasbord today -- on topics ranging from test strips to skeins of yarn to aerial flights to final rites.

In essence, this is a chance for me to update readers on subjects I've written about in past weeks.

Let's revisit a controversial one first, the column that generated hundreds of e-mails, phone calls and online comments from Press readers who praised and excoriated me for writing about Thomas Pauli.

Pauli is the 52-year-old homeless man who may have frozen to death in part because he was a convicted sex offender and, by law, was denied access to lodging at either of two Grand Rapids missions near a high school. Both missions are blocks from where Pauli's body was found Jan. 26.

While complete autopsy results still were pending Wednesday, I can tell you that Pauli was cremated and his remains reportedly were given to his son, Eric, who lives near Traverse City.

A modest service was held at Heartside Ministries in Grand Rapids, a daytime refuge Pauli frequented since his release from prison in 2003.

I also tracked down specifics about Pauli's crime through Grand Traverse County Circuit Court, and spoke briefly with his victim. He was charged with first-degree criminal sexual conduct and pleaded guilty to second-degree criminal sexual conduct.

Specifically, he admitted to molesting a preteen girl when he was in his 30s. He served 11 years in prison for the offense.

The victim was courageous enough to come to the phone when I called her place of work, but declined comment. She is married with children and continues to live in Michigan.

It was Pauli's son Eric, 26, who also collected his father's worldly possessions. They included a small pack containing socks, long underwear and two T-shirts. In his pants pockets were 97 cents. Eric said he also went through his father's nearly empty wallet, wondering if he'd carried any pictures of his son for the many years they were apart.

There weren't any. ..News Source.. by Tom Rademacher The Grand Rapids Press