Days after a visitor died at Taliesin West, The Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation declined to answer questions about what caused a piece of windblown roofing material to fall and kill the person.
Strong winds tore material loose and sent it hurling towards Brother Rogério Renato Mateucci during an Oct. 16 visit, Scottsdale police officer Aaron Bolin said. First responders pronounced the 55-year-old Brazilian university leader dead at the scene.
A photo provided to The Arizona Republic by Mateucci’s colleague, Vidal Martins, shows a curved, translucent panel lying among rocks and desert vegetation. Martins said the panel was believed to be the piece that struck Mateucci in the head.
The Republic asked the foundation, which operates the historic Scottsdale
property, about roof inspections, wind precautions and reopening plans on Oct. 18.
Foundation representative Jan Bracamonte supplied a statement from CEO Joe Spector offering condolences and saying Taliesin West would remain closed until further notice. The statement did not address inspections or wind precautions.
Bracamonte declined to provide additional details when The Republic followed up Oct. 20.
“The Foundation does not currently have any further information to share at this time,” she wrote. Bracamonte said she expected an update soon but did not specify when.
Taliesin West remained closed to the public. It is not immediately clear if anyone is at the property, such as employees or caretakers. A call to Taliesin West’s public phone number Oct. 20 went to voicemail, and a recorded message said the property was closed because of unforeseen circumstances.
Questions from those who knew the victim
The unanswered safety questions echo concerns raised by Martins, a who traveled with Mateucci as part of a trip to Arizona State University. In an Oct. 19 interview with The Republic, Martins questioned how the roofing had been attached in the first place.
“I think the security measures must be taken because it’s a public place,” Martins said.
Martins, who after their trip came to an end stayed behind and did not attend the tour, said another colleague called to tell him a piece of acrylic had struck Mateucci. Moments later, he was told Mateucci was dead at the scene.
Martins later went to Taliesin West and saw Mateucci’s body in an area authorities had closed off, he said.
Mateucci led Brazil’s Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná. He was one of four university leaders visiting Arizona for sessions at Arizona State University before the sightseeing trip, Martins said.
Detectives and crime scene personnel investigated the death, but police said they did not suspect foul play.
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Rey Covarrubias Jr. is a reporter for The Arizona Republic and azcentral.com. Email him at: rcovarrubias@azcentral.com, and connect with him on Instagram, Threads, Bluesky and X (formerly Twitter) at @ReyCJrAZ.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Taliesin West operator gives no answers about safety after death
