Attorney died from heart attack, not Midtown sidewalk fall
A heart attack, or something like it, took James Freaney’s life — not his fall from a Midtown Atlanta sidewalk.
Freaney, 45, was found dead outside a building at 21 8th St. on June 20. At the time, Atlanta police dubbed it an accidental death, surmising that he had been killed after falling from a sidewalk and dropping "three to five feet" to a walkway below.
The Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office said Monday, however, that his death was caused by coronary artery disease and a blood clot, among other contributing factors.
“It was a natural death,” a spokesman told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Freaney was believed to be in Midtown for a job interview on the day of his death. He had worked for 10 years at Marietta law firm Frederick J. Hanna and Associates.
Coworkers there told the AJC last week that he was "a funny, gregarious and highly intelligent man" who loved his family, opera and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.
“His knowledge and interests were not limited to the law,” the attorneys said in a emailed joint statement. “He had an incredible memory and was an avid reader. He was an enthusiastic participant in the Cobb Bar Association’s Trivia Game each year.”
About the Author
Tyler Estep hosts the AJC Win Column, Atlanta's new weekly destination for all things sports. He also shepherds the Sports Daily and Braves Report newsletters to your inbox.
