Kentucky Census Worker Actually Killed Himself

[Nieztchean Uber-Amoeba]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091124/ap_ ... ker_hanged

By BRUCE SCHREINER and ROGER ALFORD, Associated Press Writers Bruce Schreiner And Roger Alford, Associated Press Writers – 14 mins ago

FRANKFORT, Ky. – A Kentucky census worker found naked, bound with duct tape and hanging from a tree with "fed" scrawled on his chest killed himself but staged his death to make it look like a homicide, authorities said Tuesday.

Bill Sparkman, 51, was found strangled Sept. 12 with a rope around his neck near a cemetery in a heavily wooded area of the Daniel Boone National Forest in southeastern Kentucky. Authorities said his wrists were loosely bound, his glasses were taped to his head and he was gagged.

Kentucky State Police Capt. Lisa Rudzinski said an analysis found that "fed" was written "from the bottom up." He was touching the ground, and to survive "all Mr. Sparkman had to do at any time was stand up," she said.

"Our investigation, based on evidence and witness testimony, has concluded that Mr. Sparkman died during an intentional, self-inflicted act that was staged to appear as a homicide," Rudzinski said.

Sparkman's mother, Henrie Sparkman of Inverness, Fla., bristled at the conclusion: "I disagree!" she wrote in an e-mail to The Associated Press.

Authorities said Sparkman alone manipulated the suicide scene. Rudzinski said he "told a credible witness that he planned to commit suicide and provided details on how and when."

Authorities wouldn't say who Sparkman told of his plan, but said Sparkman talked about it a week before his suicide and the person did not take him seriously. He told the person he believed his lymphoma, which he had previously been treated for, had recurred, police said.

Sparkman also had recently taken out two accidental life insurance policies totaling $600,000 that would not pay out for suicide, authorities said.

If Sparkman had been killed on the job, his family also would have been be eligible for up to $10,000 in death gratuity payments from the government.

Sparkman's son, Josh, previously told AP that his father had named him as his life insurance beneficiary. Josh Sparkman said earlier this month he found paperwork for the private life insurance policy among his father's personal files but wasn't sure of the amount. Police wouldn't say who the beneficiary was.

The Census Bureau suspended door-to-door interviews in the rural area after Sparkman's body was found, but a spokesman said normal operations would resume in Clay County next month.

Anti-government sentiment was initially one possibility in the death. Authorities said Sparkman had discussed perceived negative views of the federal government in the county.

A friend of Sparkman's, Gilbert Acciardo, previously told AP that he warned Sparkman to be careful when he did his census work. Acciardo, a retired Kentucky state trooper, said he told Sparkman people in the area would perceive him differently because he worked for the federal government.

"The death of our co-worker, William Sparkman, was a tragedy and remains a loss for the Census Bureau family. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends," said census spokesman Stephen Buckner.

Sparkman's mother has said her son was an Eagle scout who moved to the area to be a local director for the Boy Scouts of America. He later became a substitute teacher in Laurel County and supplemented that income as a census worker.

Friends and co-workers have said that even while undergoing chemotherapy for cancer, Sparkman would show up for work smiling with a toboggan cap to cover his balding head. They said he was punctual and dependable.

I imagine that this will only result in some fringe lunatics claiming this as a cover-up and making him into some kind of Vince Foster for the Left.

[Qwerty 42]

As unfortunate as any suicide is, I'm glad that this wasn't actually the result of an anti-government movement.

[Anguirus]

This has got to be one of the most bizarre things I've ever even heard of.

[General Zod]

Okay, that was unexpected. Is this a first or something? Because I can't think of too many reports of suicides that were disguised to look like murder ever occurring.

[bobalot]

How exactly does one bind them selves with duct tape and then kill himself?

[[R_H]]

How exactly does one bind them selves with duct tape and then kill himself?

I was thinking pretty much the same thing. It must have been very difficult to commit suicide the way he did.

[Bounty]

How exactly does one bind them selves with duct tape and then kill himself?

I was thinking pretty much the same thing. It must have been very difficult to commit suicide the way he did.

Authorities said his wrists were loosely bound, his glasses were taped to his head and he was gagged.

His hands were "loosely bound", it doesn't say how, but it's not exactly impossible to do that.

[MKSheppard]

Lets see, life insurance policy taken out, but it doesn't pay out if it's a suicide. So suicide, but try to make it look like a murder.

[PeZook]

You have to admit this was pretty creative. I too am glad it turned out the people in Kentucky aren't willing to lynch census workers.

[[R_H]]

You have to admit this was pretty creative. I too am glad it turned out the people in Kentucky aren't willing to lynch census workers.

Indeed. I wonder why he didn't just go to a doctor, instead of concocting this eloborate plan (and telling someone about it) and then not getting the insurance payout.

[Glocksman]

You have to admit this was pretty creative. I too am glad it turned out the people in Kentucky aren't willing to lynch census workers.

Indeed. I wonder why he didn't just go to a doctor, instead of concocting this eloborate plan (and telling someone about it) and then not getting the insurance payout.

My armchair shrink guess is that deep down he wanted someone to intervene before he actually carried it out, but in the end decided to go through with it when no one did.

If all he was concerned about was the insurance policy payoffs, all he had to do was collect a couple of traffic tickets for speeding under adverse conditions (rain, snow, etc.) and then deliberately crash his truck into a bridge abutment at 80 MPH during a thunderstorm.

With a track record of driving recklessly under such conditions, an insurance company would have a hard time proving that the resulting death was anything but accidental.

[SCRawl]

Yeah, but that plan would have cost him -- or rather, his estate -- the $10k death benefit for dying on the job.

[Broomstick]

Okay, that was unexpected. Is this a first or something? Because I can't think of too many reports of suicides that were disguised to look like murder ever occurring.

A first? Not at all. Incidence always goes up in economic hard times.

[Broomstick]

Indeed. I wonder why he didn't just go to a doctor, instead of concocting this eloborate plan (and telling someone about it) and then not getting the insurance payout.

This is the US, remember?

Sure as shit MY Census job came with no benefits, and I've never heard of a substitute teaching job that did. He had no health insurance. Even if he had gone to a doctor he would not have been able to pay for treatment.

[General Zod]

Okay, that was unexpected. Is this a first or something? Because I can't think of too many reports of suicides that were disguised to look like murder ever occurring.

A first? Not at all. Incidence always goes up in economic hard times.

Incidents of suicide, sure. Not so much suicide disguised to look like murder.

[Tanasinn]

This is a relief compared to hick murder, but it's still a pretty bitter affair for a guy to kill himself to get his family insurance money.

[Broomstick]

Okay, that was unexpected. Is this a first or something? Because I can't think of too many reports of suicides that were disguised to look like murder ever occurring.

A first? Not at all. Incidence always goes up in economic hard times.

Incidents of suicide, sure. Not so much suicide disguised to look like murder.

No, you misread my intent completely. Incidents of suicide disguised as murder go up in hard economic times. What the fuck did you think I meant? Just because you haven't heard of this before doesn't mean it's new.