You'll recall the tragic story of Richard Sprague, the 47-year-old man who was attacked on Julian Avenue in the Mission two weekends ago while out to buy cigarettes and who subsequently died and was found some five hours later? Well, investigators now say he was strangled, not stabbed, as was initially reported.

The news calls to question those initial reports of his moaning and crying for help for hours — an especially tragic aspect to the story that made a lot of Julian Avenue neighbors feel very guilty, and the rest of us vicariously so. How could Sprague have been making cries for help if he was strangled?

Also as part of today's update we learn the added fact that Sprague left the house with no cell phone because he was only walking a few blocks to purchase cigarettes. His partner says he was trying to quit, and he didn't want to enable the behavior by taking Sprague to the store himself.

The report also says he left the house without his wallet, only cash for smokes, however he must have been carrying his ATM card because a suspect was found using it at 16th and Mission the next day.

[Chron]

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Man Dies After Mission Mugging, Stabbing; Police Arrive 5 Hours Later