It?s been almost a year since Rey Rivera?s body was found in the second-floor office of The Belvedere eight days after he disappeared from his East Baltimore home.
A hole in the roof of the conference room where Rivera?s body was found showed the tremendous force of impact, but anybody who knows whether he fell, jumped or was pushed off the top of the historic Mount Vernon condo building ? or dropped out of the sky ? is not talking.
Friends and relatives say Rivera was not suicidal. The few clues or leads have left his brother, Angel Rivera, frustrated.
“Our family is just one of many families in Baltimore living with this. Especially this time of year, it?s very difficult,” he said.
For Angel Rivera, the facts do not add up.
“When I had the courage, I went down to the parking lot and looked up at top of the hotel and said there is no way he could have landed that far out from the roof,” he said. The second-floor conference room juts out from the main tower of the 13-story building.
That?s why Angel said he believes what some employees who work in The Belvedere building told him confidentially: Rey would have had to be pushed from the side of the building.
“Apparently there is another set of doors to the roof, and their impression was that was more logical that he would have been pushed from there,” he said.
An engineering study obtained by The Examiner concluded that based on the distance that Rivera?s body landed from the wall, estimated to be roughly 43 feet, he would have been running roughly 11 miles per hour.
Several mysteries also surround his death, including a missing money clip.
“It was a gift from [his wife] Allison he carries with him all the time. She saw it that morning in his hand,” Angel said. “It was a family heirloom.”
Despite the pain he feels every day, Angel refuses to let his brother?s legacy die.
“Five comedians in Orlando have joined together for a benefit to raise money to film Rey?s movie,” he said.
“Midnight Polo” tells the tale of a young woman?s dream to make the U.S Olympic water polo team.
“Everyone is donating their time to make this happen,” Angel said.
What do you think happened to Rey Rivera? Respond below in our comments.
