Three die on island in separate incidents

Three unrelated deaths on Mustang Island over the past week have police shaking their heads.

The first was reported on Friday, July 27, at about 8:43 a.m., Port Aransas police records show.

Officers investigating a call found a man dead behind a building in the 200 block of North Alister Street.

He was identified as Wallace Ray Marcrum, 54, a transient. Police Lt. Darryl Johnson said there were no apparent signs of foul play in the death.

Later that evening a Corpus Christi police officer patrolling State Hwy. 361 was flagged down at the Port Royal Condominiums, in the 6900 block. He was told people had seen an object floating in the surf.

Corpus Christi police Capt. Robert Bridge said the officer waded into the surf and found a drowning victim, who was later identified as James Beasley. Police records showed no age or hometown for the victim, Bridge said.

Beasley appeared to have been fishing in the surf on Friday evening when he drowned.

On Tuesday morning, July 31, the body of Russell Bruce Simons was found in the surf near the Horace Caldwell Pier, Chief Deputy Jim Rector, of the Nueces County Precinct 4 Constable's Office, said.

Witnesses and friends said Simons was a Vietnam War veteran who had been hallucinating recently and who had not been taking prescribed medications. Simons was with a friend as recently as 7 a.m. Tuesday; his backpack was found on the beach under the Pier House Restaurant, Rector said.

He said Simons appeared to have been from the Canyon Lake area. Records show he was charged by Port Aransas police with burglary of a building and public intoxication in October of 2005.

Simons appeared to have died sometime between 7-8:35 a.m., when the call came in, Rector said.