Mailman's death reveals stash of undelivered letters

By KATIE ZEZIMA
New York Times

BROOKLINE, MASS. - For 20 years, Alan Gagne delivered mail to a tree-lined neighborhood here � but not all of it.

The Postal Service said last week that he tucked away thousands of circulars and hundreds of letters in drawers and closets in his apartment.

The authorities discovered the mail Oct. 13 when a supervisor, who worried when Gagne did not show up for work, found him dead in his apartment on the same street where he made his rounds in this affluent suburb. The police said he died of natural causes.

The Boston Globe reported the discovery Tuesday.

Some of the mail dates from the 1980s, said Robert Cannon, a spokesman for the Postal Service, and about 90 percent of it was circulars flagged as undeliverable because of an address change.

The Postal Service is trying to deliver the first-class letters and cards, none of which were opened, to their rightful recipients, but is having trouble because the letters are so old.

Cannon said officials do not know why Gagne kept the mail, and probably never would.

"There appeared to be no rhyme or reason as to how, when, or where he took the mail or why he was holding onto it," Cannon said.

Stealing mail is a federal offense, but the death voids all charges, he said.

"It's tragic, unfortunate and bizarre," Cannon said.

Gagne, 54, lived on the bottom floor of a yellow duplex on a quiet tree-lined street filled with many young families.

A bachelor, he moved from an apartment around the corner a few years ago, neighbors said, and apparently took the mail with him.

Neighbors said Gagne was somewhat of an enigma, barely looking people in the eye but seemingly obsessed with getting the mail to them properly and on time, leaving them all the more baffled as to how and why he took the mail.

"I should be rightfully angry, but I'm surprised. I'd be surprised if anything of value was taken," said Jeff Kline. "I find myself being much more sad that he could have done this and his life had to be that way than mad that he took circulars."

Authorities are still adding up how many TV Guides the deceased had collected in his attempt to get noticed by Elaine.

Just curious. I had a college history professor named Alan Gagne from Boston. He would be in his 50s now. Even though I was just 17 yo back then, I thought he was kind of strange. Maybe he lost his teaching gig. Maybe it's him.