Jonathan Crenshaw, a homeless, armless man who painted with his feet, reportedly died on May 12, 2023 at age 51.
An autopsy of Crenshaw, who became a fixture on Lincoln Road as people passing by witnessed him painting on canvasses with his feet, revealed his cause of death to be esophageal varices, Miami New Times reported.
Jonathan Crenshaw, Homeless Miami Beach Artist Who Painted With Feet, Dead at 51 https://t.co/qChcU4HDzl
— Miami New Times (@miaminewtimes) March 25, 2024
Crenshaw was found unresponsive on a sidewalk outside a parking lot on James Avenue across from several motels, according to the outlet. Surveillance footage reportedly showed the famous foot artist in a “squatted position” on the sidewalk before he fell forward with his face hitting the ground, the autopsy report found.
Esophageal varices refers to the enlargement of veins in one’s esophagus lining, which can cause potentially fatal bleeding, the outlet reported. Fatty liver disease reportedly caused Crenshaw’s esophageal varices, according to his autopsy report.
Despite happening nearly one year ago, Crenshaw’s death had not yet been publicly reported, according to Miami New Times. (RELATED: Popular Bald Eagle Rover Killed In New York City Car Crash)
Crenshaw told the Miami New Times in an interview in 2011 that he moved around a lot to places including El Paso, Texas and San Diego, California despite being born in Alabama. He reportedly alleged that his mother fed him rat poison. “For the insurance policy, I guess,” Crenshaw alleged to the outlet and expressed his love for making art pieces.
The foot artist was not only known for his creative endeavors. Crenshaw made headlines in 2018 after he was arrested for allegedly stabbing a 22-year-old Chicagoan visitor using a pair of scissors, according to the Miami New Times. The armless artist was reportedly acquitted in a trial.