Man who died on Hamilton mall rooftop in 2020 had 'very difficult' life, inquest hears

When someone experiences homelessness, their life span is roughly cut in half, according to an expert witness who spoke during Day 1 of the inquest into Attila Csanyi's death.

Csanyi, 28, was found on the rooftop of Jackson Square in 2020 after dying of an overdose. He had been evicted from his residential care facility on Bay Street South in Hamilton nearly two months before, according to the Hamilton Community Legal Clinic. 

The inquest started Tuesday, almost four years after Csanyi's death.

Jennifer Scott, presiding officer of the inquest, told jurors the next few weeks won't be about placing blame, but rather, "finding the truth."

"What went wrong and how do we fix it?" she said to the jury.

The inquest is expected to last two to three weeks. It will feature a five-member jury who will hear from Csanyi's family, experts and witnesses including from the city and health-care providers, and may make recommendations aimed at preventing similar deaths. 

Jai Dhar, the inquest counsel, summarized some of the evidence jurors can expect to hear.

He said on May 2, 2020, someone found two men unconscious lying on the Jackson Square rooftop.

One of the men woke up and ran away when the bystander said they were calling 911.

The other man, Csanyi, remained motionless with no pulse.

First responders tried reviving him and later pronounced him dead at the scene.

A forensic pathologist said Csanyi died after overdosing on a combination of fentanyl and methamphetamine.

Dhar said police spent the next month trying to confirm Csanyi's identity but officers struggled to find anyone who knew him.

At the same time, Csanyi's twin brother, Richard, was looking for him after losing contact.