Current:Home > MyMother of Man Found Dead in Tanning Bed at Planet Fitness Gym Details His Final Moments -GrowthInsight
Mother of Man Found Dead in Tanning Bed at Planet Fitness Gym Details His Final Moments
View
Date:2025-04-16 17:36:55
More has come to light about Derek Sink's death.
Three days after his body was found in a tanning bed at a Planet Fitness gym in Indianapolis, his mother shared more insight into the harrowing incident.
Karen Wetzel believes that her son's toxicology report will come back with fentanyl in his system, she told People in an interview published Nov. 13. She emphasized that despite Sink's history with drug addiction (a syringe was found in the room with him, according to his family), he was "a human being with value and worth."
She recalled the 39-year-old as "the kindest person" with "the softest heart," per the outlet.
Karen explained that Sink—who was charged with possession of a narcotic drug and possession of a controlled substance last year, according to Marion County Superior Court records, per NBC News—had gone to sign up for a gym membership on Nov. 8 while his girlfriend Heather and her daughter were in a TJMaxx nearby.
The pair went to find Sink—who was wearing an ankle monitor as part of his plea agreement, along with drug testing—but went home after being unable to locate him. They reported him missing on Nov. 10 and his probation officer found his body the day after when she went to his last known location.
Although it took days to locate Sink's body, a local woman who was visiting the facility revealed that she noticed a putrid smell near the tanning beds after entering the building.
"The tanning bed has a door, I believe," Elizabeth Len told WTHR in an interview published Nov. 12. "But still, why are we not concerned that the tanning bed has been closed for three days, potentially?"
After Sink's body was discovered, Planet Fitness expressed their condolences and emphasized the dedication to safety in their facilities.
"We were deeply saddened by the passing of one of our members, and the franchise owner is working with the local authorities in their investigation," McCall Gosselin, Planet Fitness' chief corporate affairs officer, said in a Nov. 12 statement to E! News. "At Planet Fitness, we have robust operational brand protocols in place, as the safety and well-being of our members is our top priority. We are working closely with our local franchisee to ensure they are upholding those brand protocols."
(E! News and NBC News are part of the NBCUniversal family.)
For the latest breaking news updates, click here to download the E! News AppveryGood! (479)
Related
- Person accused of accosting Rep. Nancy Mace at Capitol pleads not guilty to assault charge
- Horoscopes Today, December 30, 2023
- Niners celebrate clinching NFC's top seed while watching tiny TV in FedExField locker room
- Rose Bowl expert predictions as Alabama and Michigan meet in College Football Playoff
- Mega Millions winning numbers for August 6 drawing: Jackpot climbs to $398 million
- Who is Liberty? What to know about the Flames ahead of Fiesta Bowl matchup vs. Oregon
- Missing exchange student from China found alive, possibly victim of cyber kidnapping, police say
- Taylor Swift dethrones Elvis Presley as solo artist with most weeks atop Billboard 200 chart
- Big Lots store closures could exceed 300 nationwide, discount chain reveals in filing
- Horoscopes Today, December 30, 2023
Ranking
- House passes bill to add 66 new federal judgeships, but prospects murky after Biden veto threat
- NJ mayor says buses of migrants bound for NY are being dropped off at NJ train stations
- A boozy banana drink in Uganda is under threat as authorities move to restrict home brewers
- Housing market predictions: Six experts weigh in on the real estate outlook in 2024
- US auto safety agency seeks information from Tesla on fatal Cybertruck crash and fire in Texas
- Klee Benally, Navajo advocate for Indigenous people and environmental causes, dies in Phoenix
- Members of Germany’s smallest governing party vote to stay in Scholz’s coalition, prompting relief
- A Colorado mother suspected of killing 2 of her children makes court appearance in London
Recommendation
Spooky or not? Some Choa Chu Kang residents say community garden resembles cemetery
2 men arrested in connection with Ugandan Olympic runner’s killing in Kenya, police say
Les McCann, prolific jazz musician known for protest song 'Compared to What,' dies at 88
Live updates | Fighting in central and southern Gaza after Israel says it’s pulling some troops out
Google unveils a quantum chip. Could it help unlock the universe's deepest secrets?
Finland and Sweden set this winter’s cold records as temperature plummets below minus 40
16-year-old traveling alone on Frontier mistakenly boarded wrong flight to Puerto Rico
The Endangered Species Act at 50: The most dazzling and impactful environmental feat of all time