Cause of SF Gay Man's Death Remains Unclear

It's been one year this week since a gay San Francisco man died after being attacked in the Duboce Triangle neighborhood, but the medical examiner's office has yet to determine the cause and manner of his death. The lack of findings may be delaying the police investigation.

Bryan "Feather" Higgins, 31, was punched outside 100 Church Street, across from the Castro district Safeway, August 10, 2014, according to a witness. Higgins died three days later at San Francisco General Hospital after his family had him taken off life support.

Brian Busta, 51, a friend and neighbor of Higgins', has said that hours before he was attacked, Higgins had been dealing with "medical issues" and behaving erratically.

John Stone, who saw Higgins being attacked, said he'd been antagonizing people who were waiting in line for breakfast at a nearby church. A man from the line told Higgins to stop and eventually followed him into the street, then punched him repeatedly and left him lying on the sidewalk.

Soon after Higgins died, police released a video that they say shows a man chasing after him and starting to assault him.

Officer Albie Esparza, a police spokesman, confirmed in an email exchange earlier this year that police have identified a "person of interest" in the case but expressed concern that naming the man might compromise the investigation. The man is "not a suspect," said Esparza.

"We are waiting still on the results of the medical examiner's autopsy to see if it's a homicide," he said. "We have to wait for the cause officially." Esparza didn't provide responses to questions about the case this week.

The medical examiner's office hadn't determined a cause or manner of death as of Monday.

Jesse Stanton, a senior clerk at the agency, said last Thursday that there's "still an active investigation" into Higgins' death. He said Dr. Ellen Moffatt, an assistant medical examiner, "has not yet attested to the cause and manner of death."

Asked why so much time has been needed, Stanton acknowledged a year is "a while, but it's not unusual for especially complicated cases to take a while."

Moffatt didn t respond directly to a voicemail from the Bay Area Reporter.

Christopher Wirowek, an administrator at the medical examiner's office, forwarded a reporter's email about Higgins' case to staffer Nina Fiore, who said Monday, August 10, "[Moffatt is] working on this case; however, it has not closed yet. She hopes to finalize it sometime this week."

Free Spirit

Higgins was part of the Radical Faerie community and was also known as Feather Lynn.

Jerry Deal, 39, a friend of Higgins', said shortly after his death, "He was the kindest, gentlest, freest spirit I've ever met, and I've been blessed to have amazing friends."

In an interview last Thursday, Busta said, "We're all missing him. It was just a hard thing for the whole neighborhood. Then, that it's not solved ... It leaves you with an empty feeling."

"The cops are taking forever," Busta added.

Brian Hagerty, Bryan Higgins's husband, has declined a previous interview request and didn't respond to a Facebook message last week.

At Rosenberg Deli, which is near Higgins' Noe Street apartment, the window still displays feathers, a note from his friends, and a flier with photos of the person of interest in the case.

Ana Diaz, 31, who worked with Higgins at the shop, pulled a wooden box adorned with feathers from the window sill, opened it, and took out a black, turquoise, and lavender quilt that belonged to Higgins.

He is "still in our hearts," Ortiz said. "It's still hard. ... We need to get justice for him."