Would-be adventurer Randall P. Beckwith, 38, died October 11 in Indianapolis. Beckwith, who had no experience as a climber or outdoorsman, was on an expedition to scale Crown Hill, the highest point in Marion County. Delayed by the moderate weather - and by a passing tour group from Mrs. Jackson's third grade class at IPS 42 - Beckwith apparently ran short of supplies and died of exposure, dehydration, and starvation. "It's weird," said John Bertram, one of the EMT personnel who recovered Beckwith's body from the slopes of Crown Hill. "The temperature got up to 60 degrees today, and he'd only left home this morning." Member of Mrs. Jackson's class Natasha Williams said, "We saw this guy crawling up the hill when we walked up and back to look at some poet guy's grave. Mrs. Jackson told us not to look, because he was probably crazy." Beckwith's widow, Sandra Beckwith, said she was just happy that Randall had died "Following his dream." Williams added, "It was kind of a long walk up that hill. No big deal, though."
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