Floyd Landis' father-in-law found dead

[stop the bleeding]

Floyd Landis' father-in-law, David Witt, has been found dead in his car in a parking lot in North Park, San Diego. San Diego independent TV station KUSI reported that the 57 year-old died of a gunshot wound on Tuesday afternoon. He was found shortly after 3:00pm and was taken to Mercy Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The San Diego County Medical Examiner's office confirmed to Cyclingnews that David's body "is in our facility", and said that the autopsy would be completed today or tomorrow. The SDCME's office would not confirm the cause of death, however.

~snip~

"He isn't the type who would do this type of thing," David told the San Diego Union-Tribune in late July, when the news first broke of Landis' positive. "Landis has a special gift. His physical endurance is 'way off the charts'. How many other people could cover 900 miles in one week of training? We just want to get through this mess."






http://www.cyclingnews.com/news.php?id=news/2006/aug06/aug17news

[Arugula Latte]

1. Weird.

Hmmmmmm ...

[LisaM]

2. That is very, very peculiar

I suppose it could be a really strange coincidence.

[Barrett808]

3. Not necessarily strange -- the background rate of depression is very high

Unfortunately, there are many more people than we usually think who are just this far from doing themselves in.

[jobycom]

4. Condolences to the family. It's been a hard ride from them, from the top

to this.

[OrangeCountyDemocrat]

5. Does This Sound Like A Proud Father-In-Law?

Someone who truly believes in his son in law's innocence, and wants to stay around and fight for his honor and legacy?

Methinks he found out the truth, and was so ashamed and embarassed, that this was his only way out. Otherwise, why suddenly Kill yourself, when you have so much to be happy for and looking forward to what the future holds?

Sorry, but this doesn't sound at all like someone who "believes" and wants to stand by his son-in-law. More like a person resigned to the fact he's been speaking out for a cheat, whom is now married to his wife's daughter.

[stray cat]

8. Maybe someone who is being harassed by all the condemnation

and undue attention to his family. This man has his own life. Who knows what he was going through before the current publicity.

[OrangeCountyDemocrat]

9. Yes, But...

If you BELIEVE in someone's innocence, and want to stand by and support them, you stay and Fight. You don't kill yourself because someone you know is innocent is being criticized.

I just don't buy that argument.

Reminds me a lot of the Budd Dwyer video performance. "I'm Innocent. I Did NOTHING Wrong. People Have Wronged Me And Framed Me. Now Watch While I Blow My Brains Out."

[tammywammy]

10. But if he was depressed

There's no telling what was going on in his mind.

While a normal person would say "I must stay and help fight for Floyd," he may have been in a mind-set that said "Floyd would be better off without me."

:shrug:

My condolences for the family.

[alarimer]

11. You are assuming the two events are related

We have nothing that says he killed himself because of what Floyd did.

[OrangeCountyDemocrat]

12. Coincidence??

Do you really think they're unrelated, or are you just trying to convince yourself because you want to believe that's the case?

Read his quotes from 2 weeks ago. Do they sound like a man who is depressed, and his focused on problems of his own? I still say they sound like a father-in-law who is supporting his son, and is looking forward to "getting through this mess."

It sounds like a man who believes in something, and the only way I can reconcile him killing himself with a bullet through himself, is that something in the last 2 weeks caused his mindset to do a complete 180. The only thing that could fit this is him learning that Landis was not what he thought he was.

If he wanted to get Landis and his daughter "through this mess," he would not make things worse by killing himself.

[Divine Discontent]

13. OCD

you need to understand depression can lead you to do some really dumb things that you wouldn't normally do. someone I know tried to kill themselves, and they're a very loving person, but they've been depressed over horrible medical probs... again, you can assume and prob be right, due to probable cause for it, but you don't know what the backstory for that man is.

bless ya

[stray cat]

6. Best to the family - such a shame

[OrangeCountyDemocrat]

7. "We Just Want To Get Through This Mess"

Does this sound like someone who wants to kill themselves? Don't expect to find out the truth. That's something which does not come easy to people these days, and so I'm sure we'll get lots of reasons why Mr. Witt decided to suddenly kill himself....just out of the blue.

From an article only a couple of weeks old:


David Witt first became friends with Landis in cycling circles when they used the same coach. Witt later introduced Landis to Rose and to his bride-to-be, Amber, Rose's daughter from a previous marriage.

The Witts are upset by allegations that surfaced Thursday suggesting that Landis may have used performance-enhancing substances (which he denies). Rose gives such talk no credibility, “knowing his character and the kind of athlete he is.” This was his dream, she says, and he wouldn't jeopardize it.

David calls Landis a tremendous athlete who is capable of having an outstanding comeback performance. He has seen such feats first-hand and knows Landis well. “He was my roommate. I was his best man at his wedding, and he was my best man at my wedding. He isn't the type who would do this type of thing.”

Landis has a special gift. His physical endurance is “way off the charts,” David says. How many other people could cover 900 miles in one week of training?

“We just want to get through this mess.”