BREAKING | Contractor Found Dead in Trash Compactor Behind Shaker Heights CVS

SHAKER HEIGHTS, Ohio (Cuyahoga County)– Authorities are investigating after a contractor was found dead inside a trash compactor behind a Shaker Heights CVS store Wednesday night.

Police identified the victim as 34-year-old Andrew Strand of Brunswick. According to Shaker Heights Police Commander John Cole, officers were dispatched to the CVS in the 17000 block of Chagrin Blvd. just before 10 p.m., after Strand’s wife contacted police when she was unable to reach him and tracked his phone to the store.

Strand had reportedly been performing contract work at the CVS earlier in the day. Officers searched the property and discovered him inside a trash compactor at the rear of the building. Commander Cole said the circumstances surrounding how Strand ended up inside the compactor remain under active investigation.

The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s Office is working to determine the official cause and manner of death. No additional details about possible foul play or workplace safety issues have been released.

“We extend our condolences to the family and friends of the deceased during this difficult time,” Cole said in a statement.

In a brief comment, CVS said the company is cooperating fully with law enforcement: “We’re cooperating with police as they investigate the death of a contractor outside our Chagrin Blvd store.”