A man died after utility workers discovered him unconscious near a utility pole along Highway OO in Madison County, Missouri, in what the sheriff's office says appears to have been an attempt to strip copper wire from the pole. The man was pronounced dead at the scene, and authorities say he was not employed by any utility company.
According to KSDK, emergency personnel responded to the location on Highway OO around 12:15 p.m. Sunday after utility workers found the man lying near the pole. A separate account from KFVS12 places the response around 12:14 p.m. on Saturday, October 3, rather than Sunday, October 4 as recorded in the KSDK account, and the two reports do not agree on which day the incident actually occurred.
The Madison County Sheriff's Office said it appears the man may have been trying to remove copper wire from the pole when he was found. Deputies have not released his identity, saying they are withholding his name pending notification of his family, and the evidence provided does not include his cause of death, his age or where he was from.
Workers Repaired Damage Caused by the Wire Removal
Utility crews remained on scene to assess and repair damage to the pole, which investigators say was caused by the removal of the wire. The sheriff's office has not said whether a suspect or any charges are expected in connection with the case, and no arrest has been reported in the information released so far.
The Madison County case echoes a similar tragedy in Franklin County, Missouri, where a man died while allegedly trying to steal copper wiring, according to FOX 2. That victim, identified as 34-year-old Cody J. Lashly of Beaufort, was reportedly using a modified pole to cut an AT&T line when a telephone pole snapped and he contacted power lines. His friend, Jerry A. Hendrickson, was later charged with abandonment of a corpse, attempted stealing of $750 or more, and damage to a critical infrastructure facility after he was taken into custody and questioned.
Copper Theft Has Been Climbing Across Missouri
The Madison County incident comes amid a broader surge in copper-wire theft across the state. Roughly 6,000 copper-wire theft incidents were reported nationwide during the last six months of 2024, with only Texas and California reporting more than Missouri, per KCUR. The outlet also reported that Missouri ranks third in the nation for stolen AT&T copper wire, behind only Texas and California.
AT&T told KCUR that copper thefts have cost the company $40 million nationwide so far in 2025, including $2.2 million in Missouri alone. The station's report links part of the surge to the Trump administration's 50% tariff on copper imports, imposed August 1, 2025, which contributed to a price spike that pushed copper to a record $5.69 a pound in July. Most of the state's thefts have been concentrated in Kansas City, St. Louis and Joplin, an AT&T investigator told the outlet.
The fallout has been especially visible in St. Louis, where officials say copper thieves have stripped wire from the Mississippi Riverfront and Eads Bridge. According to First Alert 4, more than 13 theft incidents were reported in the area over a three-month span, leaving traffic lights without power and darkening much of the riverfront, with only half the bridge still lit. City officials said they plan to expand camera surveillance and fit copper wires with GPS-enabled alarms that trigger when a theft is detected, the station reported.
