BLOOMINGTON - Police said Tuesday they were still investigating the stabbing death of Joshua Embry, who was described by a former employer Monday as a benevolent teddy bear who loved riding his motorcycle.

"He was like 5-10 and 300 pounds and was a very pleasant and caring individual," said Bruce Pedigo, vice president of operations for Joe's Towing and Recovery in Bloomington.

Joshua Embry

Bloomington police had no suspect in custody Tuesday, spokesman Duane Moss said. Police have interviewed at least 50 people in connection with the stabbing and an altercation about the same time outside a downtown Bloomington bar that Embry had patronized earlier Saturday night, he said.

Moss declined to say whether police have a suspect in Embry's death.

An autopsy Monday showed Embry died of a stab would to the chest "that involved the heart," according to McLean County Coroner Beth Kimmerling. The weapon used was a knife, she said, and toxicology tests have been ordered but no inquest date has been set.

Pedigo, who noted the mood at the business Monday was somber, said Embry, 26, of Bloomington, worked for him about half a dozen years, last working in September.

"This is unthinkable to me. He was a good kid," Pedigo said.

Pedigo said that one of Embry's greatest joys was riding his Harley-Davidson motorcycle.

"If it was a nice day, he'd be on his bike," Pedigo said.

Larger altercation?

Police had been dispatched around 11:35 p.m. Saturday to a report of an altercation involving up to 30 people in the 500 block of North Center Street, near the Six Strings tavern, where Embry had been prior to the stabbing. Security-camera footage from outside the bar shows about 30 people involved in that altercation, Moss said.

Embry was found bleeding from a chest wound on a sidewalk on the west side of Six Strings, along Center Street, Moss said. He was taken to OSF St. Joseph Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead at 12:26 a.m. Sunday.

Although police were still trying to determine if the larger altercation led to Embry's death, Moss said Tuesday that the stabbing did not appear to be a "random kind of thing."

Police repeated Tuesday that the stabbing took place outside the tavern, and a co-owner said Monday that the business was not involved but was helping in the investigation.

"Everything was outside," said Daniel Rolph, who has been co-owner of the country-western tavern since September 2007.

Rolph said he was not aware of any disturbance inside the club and has shared with police video footage from outside surveillance cameras.

"We have four video cameras around the perimeter of the building," said Rolph.

Rolph said Brett Sams, his head of security, who was off-duty at the time of the stabbing, administered first aid to Embry. Sams, who said he learned first aid in the Army, said he applied a compress in an attempt to stop bleeding.

Moss said a candlelight vigil was scheduled for Embry for Tuesday night at Six Strings. A message on the club's Web site said the tavern was closed for business on Tuesday.

Despite the stabbing, Rolph said downtown Bloomington is safe.

"You can have incidents anywhere there are people," he said.

Ryan Denham contributed to this report.