Cory Irving Found Dead
Nckersey
Florida, not far from the family home. He was found in his car in a retention
pond, eight feet deep. He had been missing for the past month.
Nckersey
12:30 a.m. Friday morning.
LandonEx
SANFORD, Fla. (AP) -- Cory Erving's car was pulled out of a pond
Thursday and a body found inside appears to be that of the troubled
19-year-old son of basketball great Julius Erving.
An autopsy will be performed Friday to make a positive identification,
but Seminole County Sheriff Don Eslinger said the clothing and other
details of the body fit that of the missing teen.
No foul play was suspected, Eslinger said.
"The body does fit the description of Cory Erving, including clothing,"
he said. "The family has been notified. They're devastated."
The car was found 20 yards from the shoreline in an 8-foot-deep
retention pond at the end of a dirt path near the Erving family home in
Lake Mary, near Orlando.
The car's windows were up and the interior was filled with water. The
driver's side seat belt was not fastened, Eslinger said.
Cory Erving disappeared May 28 on what was supposed to be a 20-minute
shopping trip to buy bread for a family picnic on Memorial Day weekend.
His father went public June 13, asking for help in finding his son, who
had a history of drug and alcohol abuse as well as run-ins with the law.
Julius Erving said one of Cory's friends claimed Cory had been using
marijuana and "roofies" -- a slang term for the illegal sedative
Rohypnol -- the night before he disappeared.
A $50,000 reward was offered for his safe return. But despite more than
three weeks of national media exposure, there was no sign of Cory or his
black 1999 Volkswagen Passat until Thursday.
Cory had been working at a sandwich shop and taking courses geared
toward getting a high school equivalency diploma. Despite past troubles
with drugs and alcohol, and a learning disability, Cory's family
believed he had turned his life around.
Cory was last seen at a mall in Lake Mary. Authorities said he has
little money, and they considered him "endangered."
Erving, at news conferences pleading for help, said Cory was born with a
learning disability that he described as a mild form of dyslexia and
attention deficit disorder.
Erving, a Hall of Famer and former NBA MVP, revolutionized basketball
with his high-flying slam dunks and was one of the sport's biggest
stars. Dr. J's 16-year career, most of it with the Philadelphia 76ers,
ended in 1987. He is the executive vice president of the Orlando Magic.
Last year, Erving acknowledged he is the father of tennis player
Alexandra Stevenson. Her mother, sports writer Samantha Stevenson,
raised her as a single parent. Last summer, Alexandra Stevenson became
only the second qualifier to reach the semifinals at Wimbledon.
Friday July 07, 2000 / 01:43 AM
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