Man found dead in Northampton canal named as family raises money for funeral

McKenzie Adams, 36, was found in the canal near St James Mill Road, close to B&Q in Far Cotton, on Tuesday, October 20.

Emergency services were called to the scene shortly before 9am.

Northamptonshire Police initially treated his death as unexplained while enquiries were carried out to establish his identity and the circumstances surrounding how he came to be in the water.

A forensic post-mortem examination took place at Leicester Royal Infirmary on October 22.

A Northamptonshire Police spokeswoman said at the time: “Following a forensic post-mortem which took place at Leicester Royal Infirmary on October 22, there is no indication to suggest there are any suspicious circumstances surrounding this man’s death.

“Our investigation will continue however to establish the circumstances which led to him coming to be in the water and our thoughts remain with his loved ones at this time.”

McKenzie's brother Darren, 37, has since confirmed he was from Lincoln and described how his brother had struggled with his mental health from a young age.

Darren said: “He was a troubled person; he has always had difficulties with his mental health, ever since he was ten, and he struggled with lots of different things.

"He would never stay in one place for long; he would always move about."

A JustGiving page has been set up by Darren to raise £3,000 towards McKenzie's funeral and memorial.

The fundraising page says: “McKenzie passed away in very sad circumstances. He’s gone through so much over the years including being in a fire, in hospital for several months and needing multiple skin grafts to recover from as-well as many other different issues over the years.

“I'm raising £3,000 to fund a funeral/memorial for McKenzie. Once you donate, I will withdraw funds directly. It's the most efficient way to donate and saves time and costs.”

At the time of writing, Wednesday, November 11, the page had raised £820.

In a Facebook post, the family also said they were ‘desperately appealing for help and information’.

They said: “We feel completely let down by the authorities and are not getting the transparency we deserve since his body was found, we are having to seek answers ourselves.”

Responding to the family's concerns on Tuesday November 10, a Northamptonshire Police spokesman said: “Our thoughts are with the family and friends of this gentleman.

“Northamptonshire Police does not consider this to be suspicious. A report is being prepared for the coroner, who will consider the circumstances surrounding his death at an inquest.

“We are liaising with relevant witnesses and family members as part of that process.”