We all may have been duped. Or, at least, mislead. Despite his family's ink-grabbing insistence, Detroit police and medical examiners claim that 72-year old Andrew Anthos was not attacked by an anti-gay mystery man.

They claim Anthos merely fell and hit his head: leading to injuries that took his life ten days later. Police Spokesman James Tate told reporters: "[Examiners] determined that he died of natural causes. There's no evidence that an assault occurred. Effectively, this case is closed." Anthos' niece, however, told police that the man had been hit by a man who asked him if he were gay. This account led to a legislative furor in which Senator Hansen Clarke and others rallied for more comprehensive hate crime laws. In the face of this evidence, Anthos' family still maintains malice. Anthos' cousin, Tony Hloros fumed:

I am absolutely disgusted (and) horrified. I swear to you my cousin was crying and he told me 'Tony, I can't believe it. He hit me in the side of the head and said are you gay?'

But, we suppose, considering Anthos' veteran activism, it's still nice to know he had a nation mourning his death. We just didn't know what kind of death it was...

Police: Man's death is not a hate crime [The Detroit News]