Current:Home > InvestMother of Man Found Dead in Tanning Bed at Planet Fitness Gym Details His Final Moments -AssetScope
Mother of Man Found Dead in Tanning Bed at Planet Fitness Gym Details His Final Moments
View
Date:2025-04-18 16:56:37
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! (9)
Related
- Don't let hackers fool you with a 'scam
- You're Doing Your Laundry All Wrong: Your Most Common Laundry Problems, Solved
- Homophobic speech in youth sports harms straight white boys most, study finds
- Are California prisons stiffing inmates on $200 release payments? Lawsuit says they are
- John Galliano out at Maison Margiela, capping year of fashion designer musical chairs
- The Daily Money: Weird things found in hotel rooms
- The Best Amazon Fashion Deals Right Now: 72% Off Sweaters, $13 Dresses, $9 Tops & More
- Selling Sunset's Emma Hernan Slams Evil Nicole Young for Insinuating She Had Affair With Married Man
- NFL Week 15 picks straight up and against spread: Bills, Lions put No. 1 seed hopes on line
- Will 'Emily in Paris' return for Season 5? Here's what we know so far
Ranking
- North Carolina trustees approve Bill Belichick’s deal ahead of introductory news conference
- Tyreek Hill's attorney says they'll fight tickets after Miami police pulled Hill over
- Go inside The Bookstore, where a vaudeville theater was turned into a book-lovers haven
- J.K. Dobbins makes statement with electrifying Chargers debut
- Toyota to invest $922 million to build a new paint facility at its Kentucky complex
- Friday the 13th freebies: Feel lucky with deals from Krispy Kreme, Wendy's, Pepsi
- Harris is promoting her resume and her goals rather than race as she courts Black voters
- Lawsuit alleges plot to run sham candidate so DeSantis appointee can win election
Recommendation
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow owns a $3 million Batmobile Tumbler
Trump Media stock jumps after former president says he won’t sell shares when lockup expires
Florida sued for using taxpayer money on website promoting GOP spin on abortion initiative
Graceland fraud suspect pleads not guilty to aggravated identity theft, mail fraud
A Mississippi company is sentenced for mislabeling cheap seafood as premium local fish
Tom Cruise’s Surprising Paycheck for 2024 Paris Olympics Stunt Revealed
Watch these squirrels escape the heat in a woman's amazing homemade spa
Canadian man admits shootings that damaged electrical substations in the Dakotas