BOSTON — Four days after a Boston University professor was found dead underneath a dilapidated set of stairs near the JFK/UMass MBTA stop, there are still no clear answers about how it happened or which government agency controls the stairs.
Authorities believe BU professor David Jones fell through a huge gap in the stairs during a Saturday afternoon jog. The Massachusetts State Police said the stairs have been in a state of disrepair for nearly two years and were closed by fencing to the public.
>>>PREVIOUS: Boston University professor dies after apparent fall from staircase near JFK/UMass station
On Wednesday, a construction crew returned to the site to better secure the entrance to the stairs from Columbia Road. Access at the bottom of the stairway, from Old Colony Ave, is now sealed with fencing zip tied to posts and other fences. Danger signs are now prominently displayed.
It is not clear how secure the area was on Saturday when Professor Jones jogged through JFK/UMass during his run from his Milton home.
The MBTA insists the staircase, despite being steps from a commuter rail platform, is not on T property. The State Department of Recreation and Conservation is believed to control the staircase, yet the State Department of Transportation, acting on an emergency contract, this week worked to better secure the site.
Related: MassDOT mobilizes emergency contract to secure staircase near JFK/UMass T stop
On Wednesday, people walking through JFK/UMass expressed frustration over an apparent lack of accountability.
“[They say] ‘it’s not ours, then whose is it?” college student Khalil Dambreville said. “Someone’s got to step up and take accountability because people are dying, people are getting hurt.”
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