Malnutrition Found to Be Cause of Byrd Son’s Death

The son of polar explorer Adm. Richard E. Byrd, whose body was found in a vacant warehouse last week, died of malnutrition and dehydration, the state medical examiner announced today.

Richard E. Byrd Jr., 68, who was discovered in the warehouse three weeks after setting out by train for a ceremony in Washington to honor his father, died of natural causes, a medical examiner spokeswoman said. “It looks like he was just hanging around like a street person, got into the building, and died,” said Dennis Hill, spokesman for the city police.

Hill said the autopsy did not reveal any criminal activity. Byrd, who was a Harvard graduate, was last seen alive by his family Sept. 13 when he left South Station in Boston.

Byrd’s family told Baltimore authorities that he sometimes became confused and on occasion had problems remembering events.