Daughter of William "Butch" McGee thanks Grand Forks community following his death

(Grand Forks, ND) -- Grand Forks Police have identified the man who was believed to be found dead in the Red River High School parking lot.

Authorities say 63-year-old William McGee, was actually found on private property southeast of the high school and not on the school's property as it was originally described. Officers say McGee's cause of death remains under investigation, though at this point foul play is not suspected and there is no believed threat to the public.

Myranda McGee, the daughter of William McGee, spoke with WDAY Radio about their GoFundMe page set up to pay for funeral and cremation costs. Myranda says William "Butch" McGee had two children and eight grandchildren. He was born and raised in Louisiana, eventually moving to North Dakota to be closer to family. William was diagnosed with throat cancer in August of 2022 and completed 29 radiation treatments. Myranda says he recently began to have memory problems, and starting experiencing periods of time where he didn't know where he was. Myranda says authorities found William in clothes that were not adequate for the weather. Authorities showed surveillance video of William wandering outside of the property, slipping, and passing away from his injuries and the cold. 

Myranda says she has received numerous calls, condolences, and donations following the death of William. She wanted to personally thank everyone who have helped her family through this difficult time.

"I wanted to thank everybody from Facebook that is sharing, that have donated. It means the world to me and my family, "said Myranda, "Thank you to everybody. Thank you to those first responders, to everybody that was out there to help make sure my dad's body was found and was taken care of properly."