Funeral arrangements announced for teen found dead in a chimney
Harley Dilly went missing on Dec. 20 and was found dead on Jan. 14.
The 14-year-old Ohio boy who was found dead inside the chimney of a vacant home this week will be remembered by loved ones next week for his "soft heart."
Harley Dilly was last seen walking to Port Clinton High School on Dec. 20, 2019, where he was a freshmen. The details of Dilly's funeral were posted Thursday on a memorial page by Gerner-Wolf-Walker Funeral Home & Crematory.
Visitation will be held on Jan. 25 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Port Clinton, Ohio. The funeral will be private and held at a later date.
After an extensive search by over 75 law enforcement agencies and the community, Dilly's body was found on Jan. 13 lodged inside a 9- by 13-inch chimney at the location near his home.
"This is not the outcome anyone wanted but thanks to your help and support, we have some closure for this family," Port Clinton Police Chief Rob Hickman said Tuesday.
The medical examiner's preliminary report concluded that Dilly died from compression asphyxia.
Dilly was an aspiring counselor and a perfectionist, according to the message on the funeral home's website.
"He had a soft heart and wanted to be a blessing to other people," according to the memorial page.
Dilly "enjoyed various sports, gaming, robotics, making YouTube videos, and singing. He always felt like he was the underdog, and as a result, he had a very giving heart and became very brave," the message read.
The Port Clinton community rallied around the family by organizing search and rescue efforts and raised over $18,000 in reward money for any information to lead to Dilly's safe return.
Most of the donated funds were returned and transferred to a funeral expense fund.