Man found near Ogle County landfill died of hypothermia

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OREGON – A Rockford man found dead in a landfill last month had a blood-alcohol content of 0.21 percent, more than 2.5 times the legal limit for driving, Ogle County Coroner Louis G. Finch IV said.

A driver in Illinois is considered to be under the influence with a BAC of 0.08 percent or more.

Steven Aase, 47, died of hypothermia; a coroner’s jury ruled Feb. 19 that the death was accidental, Finch said.

A landfill employee cleaning debris from a 5-foot-deep ditch found Aase’s body Jan. 20, covered with snow and ice, along a service road at Orchard Hills Landfill in Davis Junction.

Ogle County Sheriff Greg Beitel said it appeared the body had been there for some time.

Aase’s abandoned car had been found along the service road on        Jan. 4, about 700 feet from where his body was discovered and about 3.5 miles from his home, Beitel said. As far as he knew, no one searched the area after the car was discovered, Beitel said.

The car was operable and did not appear to have been in an accident. Full and empty beer cans were scattered throughout the car, and another can of the same brand was found near Aase’s body, the sheriff  said.