Over Labor Day weekend, a number of talented artists and fans gathered at the Souper Groove Festival 4 in West Freehold, NJ. With bands like Pink Talking Fish, Turtle Soup, ShwizZ, and more, not to mention individual musicians like Tim Palmieri, Bernard Purdie and so many more, the general consensus of the festival was that of great success.
What hasn’t been mentioned, however, is the unfortunate of festival volunteer Timothy Harden, 38, who’s death still remains a mystery.
A full report in the Asbury Park Press reveals some interesting details regarding Harden’s death, though it’s still impossible to determine what actually happened from hearsay alone. As it stands, the festival’s security notified the police when Harden began to act paranoid and aggressive. There are reports of Harden attacking the security, and similar reports of both security and police officers attacking Harden. The details of this altercation remain to be seen.
The family’s attorney, Thomas J. Mallon, commented about the situation, saying “The longer they sit on this kind of information, the longer it seems like they’re covering up something… To make (the family) wait and wonder what happened, it seems like they’re getting their story together.”
It’s still unclear whether Harden was arrested or in custody, but he passed away some hours later at a nearby hospital. The family members just want answers to deal with this difficult situation.
Sending our condolences to all of Harden’s loved ones during this challenging time.