The body of a dead male was discovered at the home of NorShor Experience owner Jim Gradishar at 5215 First Ave. in Fredenberg Township this morning, according to St. Louis County Undersheriff Dave Phillips.
"It appears so; however, we're not prepared to release any information at the moment," Phillips said when asked if a dead body had been found in Gradishar's home.
Authorities have not released the identity of the body and said the death was a result of a medical incident.
Steve Steblay, Supervising Deputy for St. Louis County Sheriff's Office, said a call from Gradishar for a medical responder was received about 8:11 a.m. today.
Steblay said responders found a male on a bedroom floor in a pool of blood. The death is being treated as a medical incident. Authorities said they don't have any reason to believe anything else.
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An autopsy will be conducted on the body. Steblay would not release nature of injuries. He said Gradishar was at his home Monday night with three friends, including the man who died.
Authorities still are investigating the incident.
Neighbors said they did not hear any noise Monday night and hadn't been aware of a problem until law enforcement and medical staff arrived this morning. They said Gradishar is a good neighbor.
Gradishar's lawyer, Randall Tigue, said he spoke to Gradishar by phone this morning and Gradishar said the body was of a man staying at Gradishar's home who had slipped and fallen in a bathtub.
"It apparently was a guy who was staying there," Tigue said. "Jim Gradishar is alive and well.
"He slipped and fell in the bathtub when Jim was asleep."
Gradishar, a 46-year-old strip club owner, is due to make an appearance in Cass County District Court Sept. 21 for possession of marijuana in a motor vehicle, possession of drug paraphernalia, having an open bottle in a motor vehicle, transporting a firearm in a motor vehicle and disorderly conduct.
The four misdemeanors and one petty misdemeanor were filed in Cass County District Court in connection with an incident at the Big Winnie Cafe in the Bena area shortly before 8 a.m. on July 19.
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Gradishar's NorShor Experience also was in precarious circumstances.
The Duluth City Council had voted not to renew the Superior Street strip club's liquor license, citing two liquor law violations and disruptive behavior inside and outside the business. The Duluth police had pushed for denial of Gradishar's license.
After an appeal by Gradishar, represented by Tigue, a Duluth judge granted a temporary restraining order allowing the NorShor Experience to sell liquor without a license pending a court hearing scheduled for Friday.
