DEACTUR, Ala. (WHNT) — A man found dead behind a liquor store last week has reopened the conversation of the homelessness crisis in the city.

According to the Morgan County Sheriff’s Office, the body of 52-year-old Ronnie James Strickland was found near the Windmill Beverages on AL-67 across from the Publix shopping center.

Strickland, according to Sue Terrell, the executive director of Hands Across Decatur, was a regular visitor to her homeless outreach.

“He was here back when it was cold in January and February. He came in and we gave him a tent and a sleeping bag and all the warm clothes that we could,” said Terrell.

Terrell said that Strickland has been dealing with untreated health issues for quite a while. Like most who visit the shelter, he had little or no access to healthcare.

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