November 19, 2004

Death of Minnesota man in Dayton is
ruled a homicide

by Anthony Glassman
with wire reports

Dayton--The death of a Minnesota man whose body was found in August has been ruled a homicide.

Police are continuing their investigation into the death of Dan Everson of Litchfield, Minnesota. Everson�s body was found on August 31 in the Dayton basement of Matthew Caddy.

The coroner�s report indicated that Everson died of blunt force trauma, a blow to the head.

Caddy has already been charged with gross abuse of a corpse and possession of criminal tools. He is being held in Montgomery County Jail on $500,000 bond. Trial had been set for November 15, but was postponed. No new date has been set.

Investigators believe Everson, 43, and Caddy, 52, met online. The Dayton Daily News uncovered profiles on sadomasochistic web sites indicating that Caddy enjoyed bondage and discipline.

�These are the basic rules,� one of Caddy�s profiles read. �It will surrender and submit to me, first, because it is here, then because you desire to do so, and finally because it knows that it brings me pleasure.�

He noted his interests include �blindfolds, bondage--light/heavy/severe, breath control, bullwhip, collars, cuffs, electricity, face mask, gags, kidnapping, mummification.�

Everson�s body was found handcuffed, tied to a rope and wrapped in a sheet. There were dirt and bodily fluids on the sheet, and a shallow hole had been dug in the basement floor near the body.

Dayton police did not return calls for comment.

This is not the first time that Caddy has been in trouble. In 1977, under his birth name Stephen Lee MacFarland, he was arrested and charged with the kidnapping and rape of a fellow employee at the Suicide Prevention Center. He pleaded guilty to sexual assault and a lesser kidnapping charge.

Last year, Caddy was accused of holding an Australian man against his will, but the man declined to press charges afterwards.

Everson went on vacation from his job as a computer technician in late July. When he did not return after his vacation ended, his employers called his family.

According to Everson�s brother, he had gone on bus trips to visit people he met online before. Everson�s car was found at a Greyhound station near his home.

Caddy was involved in Dignity Dayton two decades ago, before leaving the group because of an argument over whether it should continue to meet on Catholic church property.

He became involved in anti-war protests after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. He joined a group called the September 11 Coalition, then left because it did not adopt a religious stance against the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Precautions are needed

Dennis McMahon, president of the Cleveland Leather Awareness Weekend and a former Mr. Cleveland Leather, believes that this case illustrates the necessity of taking basic precautions when engaging in S/M and leather activities.

�You never go home with someone you don�t know,� he said. �If you do, make sure someone knows who you�re going home with and where,� McMahon said. �Leave a letter at home, directions, a name and address, something.�

�It�s a power exchange,� he continued. �You give your power up, or take someone else�s power away. You have to trust the person you are interacting with. If you don�t know someone, how can you trust them?�

�The leatherman�s credo is �Safe, sane, consensual.� Ask around about someone before going with them. It�s a small community and most people know one another,� McMahon noted. �It�s the quiet one that have no reputation and no one has ever heard of before, that you have to look out for.�

McMahon spelled out the individual components of the leatherman�s credo.

�Ask around about their reputation. Do they play safe? Are they sane? Consenting means both parties agree to an act of behavior and its boundaries,� he said. �Safety words are established. Time limits are put into place. All this is worked out ahead of time. This is no time to be shy or intimidated. No winging it here. It�s negotiation time.�

He concluded, �It is not a game. It�s serious business.�

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