UPDATE: Hanged Kentucky Census Worker Committed Suicide
FRANKFORT — A part-time U.S. Census worker found dead near a secluded Clay County cemetery killed himself but tried to make the death look like a murder, authorities have concluded.
Bill Sparkman, 51, of London, apparently was trying to preserve payments under life insurance policies he had taken out, one as recently as May, which paid benefits if he died as a result of murder or accident, but not suicide or natural causes, police said.
Sparkman had survived a bout with cancer a few years ago, but told a friend he believed the cancer had returned and that he would die, police said.
However, there was no indication Sparkman's cancer had recurred, said Cristin Rolf, deputy state medical examiner.
In a two-month investigation, police marshaled a number of reasons to conclude Sparkman ended his own life. Among other things, only Sparkman's DNA was on evidence at the scene, and he had told a friend details of his plan that matched what happened, police said at a news conference Thursday.
Police interviewed potential homicide suspects but ruled them out, and found no evidence pointing to any conclusion except that Sparkman killed himself.
"We do believe that we have everything we need to rule out homicide and accidental" death, said state police Capt. Lisa Rudzinski, who helped direct the investigation.
The benefits under Sparkman's two insurance policies totaled $600,000. Police declined to say who would have gotten the money, though Sparkman's son Josh, 20, has said he was a beneficiary.
Bill Sparkman was last seen on Sept. 9, a Wednesday. The prior Saturday, he had told a friend, whom police did not name, of his plan to hang himself near a cemetery in Clay County.
The friend didn't think Sparkman was serious and so didn't tell anyone about the conversation before Sparkman died, said state police Detective Donald Wilson, the lead investigator.
Sparkman's body was found Sept. 12 in a clearing near a family cemetery. People visiting the hillside cemetery saw the body.
Sparkman was wearing only socks, and there was a rope around his neck tied to a tree. The word "fed" was written on his chest with black marker in letters 12 to 14 inches high, and his census identification card was taped to his head.
Sparkman died at that spot as a result of asphyxiation. Police believe he staged the details to try to make it appear he was murdered because he was a federal employee.
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Original Daily Bail Story Here
Nov 25, 2009 at 11:39 AM
Reader Comments (6)
Dang! It DID seem to good to be true anyway.
People do not fight back if they do not think they are going to be killed, look at the way people react in hostage incidences. Once tied up, it is to late to fight back. After they are strangled, they tie the rope up and, poof suicide, sometimes they even force them to write a note...
Then they would spread around the appropriate amount of campaign contributions to the "right" people, who are already on the take, to protect the elicit rackets.
I would not want to be a stranger, especially working for the government walking up to the door of a meth lab with a tweaked out cook answering the door and saying "hi, I'm from the goobermint, can I talk to you a minute?".
The bailouts were required to save the economy!
The health care bill will not lower quality or raise prices!
The wars are necessary for our safety!
Blankfein is the greatest CEO of the year! GS is the best run company of the year!
Pelosi and Frank care about you!
Open your wallet so they can keep caring about you! They love you! Trust them!
I know this is just preaching to the choir, James :)