New Twist in Census Worker's Death

[DearAbby]

WASHINGTON (Nov. 13) -- Investigators trying to solve the mystery of a census taker found hanging from a tree with the word "fed" scrawled on his chest are examining whether he manipulated the scene in order to conceal a suicide and make a life insurance claim possible for his son, law enforcement officials told The Associated Press.

The dead man's son, Josh Sparkman, said in an interview with the AP that he found paperwork for the private life insurance policy among the personal files of his father, Bill Sparkman, but wasn't sure of the amount or when it was taken out. He said authorities have told him nothing about the case or produced a death certificate, which is usually needed to make an insurance claim.

Two law enforcement officials, who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the case, said investigators were trying to determine whether Bill Sparkman committed suicide but altered the scene to make it look like a homicide, allowing his son to collect.

Life insurance policies typically do not cover suicides within a certain time period after the policy begins.
Sparkman said he was convinced his father was killed, in part because several items were missing and apparently stolen from his car. Police have declined to comment about any of the items removed from the car except for a census computer, which was not found, although its case was.

"If it's deemed suicide, there's no point in even looking at insurance," the son said. "There's no such thing as suicide insurance. The money is not the concern. I just want to know what happened to my dad."





http://news.aol.com/article/police-eye-dead-census-workers-insurance/765769?icid=main|

[Canuckistanian]

1. The only "twist" here

Is that it looks like the police are desperately trying to make this look like a suicide.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

2. Kind of makes you wonder who's guilty

doesn't it?

[Lex]

7. Damn. Sure does

now that you mention it.

[jobycom]

9. Why do you think that?

Cops have no special interest in making it look like a suicide. Most places cops would be trying to make it look like a murder because it would increase their funding by increasing the need for more cops to fight higher crime rates. They might be wrong--that's not unusual--but I don't why they'd be "desperately" trying to make it look like a suicide if they thought it was a murder.

It's a weird case. Usually when someone is crazy and hateful enough to murder a stranger and hang them up like a coyote on a fence, people around the area know who they are. The cops would have a ton of leads saying "Old Jake is insane like that, every since the revenuers broke up his still." Not to mention, the only people a census taker would really be talking to would be the people he was interviewing, and his supervisor would know who those were. My mother was a census worker for years, and I've heard all kinds of horror stories about guns and lunatics, but they were always people she had been assigned to interview. So the cops would have a quick list of suspects.

The fact that they think it might be a suicide means they don't have the tips, and none of the people on his list are the insane psycho type, and they aren't finding physical evidence. He was loosely bound and his feet were touching the ground, so it would have taken some effort to make him slump until he choked if he didn't want to die, and they don't have bruises or scratches or DNA on his clothes from a struggle from making him slump or marks on the ground to indicate other people around him, or they'd be talking about that.

None of that proves anything, and he still might have been murdered, but it sure makes suicide something that an investigator would have to at least consider. I don't see how this is any "desperate" attempt by cops to cover up anything.

[Chemisse]

11. That is an interesting tidbit that would suggest suicide

"He was loosely bound and his feet were touching the ground,"

If there is intense scrutiny and fear regarding this case, calling it suicide would make all that go away in a hurry, so I would think that would be a motive.

But I am not so enamored of the idea of a right-winger killing a census worker that I can't accept a suicide theory if it makes logical sense.

[jobycom]

15. The state police are the ones investigating

from what I can tell from the article, anyway. They'd be the last people to be forgiving of someone killing government employees.

I'm not saying it's a suicide, I'm just saying I don't understand the angry certainty that the state cops are knowingly covering up a murder. .

[Chemisse]

17. I think we all jumped to a conclusion when this first happened

And perhaps don't want to let go of that righteous indignation.

[jobycom]

19. I jumped to the same conclusion. I can understand that.

I'm still not sure the conclusion was wrong. But I can look at facts and analyze them logically, and see that it's at least something that an honest investigator would look at.

[MattBaggins]

12. Cops are as lazy as every other person

They don't care about any extra funding that they will see no part of.

Just like "no fault" accidents; call it a suicide and be home in time for dinner.

[jobycom]

16. Yeah, and they are also as outraged by crime as every other person.

They also wouldn't like the thought that some sicko was killing government employees and getting away with it because they are government employees.

And while cops are as lazy as the next person, their bosses aren't. This is a high profile cop for state investigators. Lots of people are watching, lots of reputations are on the line.

[icymist]

14. Because of this line in the article:

<snip>
Two law enforcement officials, who spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the case, said investigators were trying to determine whether Bill Sparkman committed suicide but altered the scene to make it look like a homicide, allowing his son to collect.

Why are police officers talking to the press if they're not supposed to?

[jobycom]

18. Are you serious?

Unnamed sources are what drive the media. Every reporter has sources they can slip some money to. Name a crime or any event where unnamed sources weren't speaking to the media on condition of anonymity. The phrase "on condition of anonymity" is a cliche that doesn't even have to be explained in a story because it is so common. That's like saying Wade Phillips's job is safe because Jerry Jones said it was safe.

[icymist]

21. Yes I'm serious.

What are your motives to be arguing this so passionately. When police officers discuss an open case that they are forbidden to discuss they are either hiding something or are trying to create something. Why else would they risk having the case thrown out?

[jobycom]

26. That's just wrong.

Unnamed sources are more common than named ones. No one is risking a case being thrown out. Cases don't get thrown out because someone leaked information before the case was even solved. This is the way the news is written. Go to any news site now and read the crime pages, you'll see.

As for cops, I have, or had, a lot of friends who were cops. They love to talk about their work. I had a homocide detective who told me stories that would give you nightmares. There's one about Henry Lee Lucas and Odis Toole that almost made me support the death penalty. He told me about finding a raped and murdered ten year old once... It's just not unusual. Some of these friends were telling me stuff about active cases that I know they weren't allowed to tell. They do it all the time. They're just regular people. And anyway, the unnammed sources could have been file clerks, for all you know.

[icymist]

28. Your comparisons are really kind of off.

Talking to the press as a un-named source about an open investigation of a possible felony in unusual circumstances is different than chatter among friends about the job because "they love to talk about their work". I work in nursing and, believe me, if we talk about anything about anyone we care for, that could be possible felonies. What I understand in the OP is that these cops were forbidden to talk about this case and did so anyhow. Why is this any different?

[Canuckistanian]

20. Ah but this is different

This was a high-profile case that has the potential to be a big POLITICAL issue.

"The fact that they think it might be a suicide means they don't have the tips"

Really? You think they have NO CLUE who it might be? Just because they haven't released information to the press?


OK, here's my theory. It was murder. They know damn well who did it and have enough evidence to suspect, but not convict.

Meanwhile, they're getting pressure from above to tie everything up neatly in a bow. Quickly.

Hence, the "suicide insurance money" "leak".

[era veteran]

29. Because all their spin is toward suicide

Clay Co KY has a big history of corruption, hell they ought to set up a local RICO office in town. These police along with the KSP may be above reproach but under oath those individuals would have to acknowledge there is lots of room for healthy skepticism, if for no other reason than past experience with local power. With the value of weed, meth., & illegal weapons, the attractiveness of these locally abundant illegal money makers points the razor at the unfortunate discovery of one of these illegal acts, by Mr. Sparkman & with the police release of such theory, they cast extra grief on this family. I would hope his body is not cremated. Kentucky Burning Peace, Richard Oh and with the giant cash generated locally they might have a special interest in making it look like suicide. RIP Mr. Sparkman, dying on the governments time with a piss poor re-dress of this grievance. Go Kentucky Burning, FBI public servants

[Kaleva]

13. And others desperately want it to be a right-wing murder.

[Canuckistanian]

24. I think it's murder, although not necessarily RW

It could be extreme xenophobia, mental illness or a drug murder.

I just find it interesting that a "leak" points VERY INTENTLY towards an "insurance fraud", while providing ZERO items of new evidence.

[laconicsax]

3. Did I miss the part where there was evidence of suicide?

[DearAbby]

4. They are now claiming, He made the scene look like a homicide

before killing himself...How did he tie up his own hands?

[laconicsax]

5. And with duct tape, no less.

What happened to his clothes and census materials? Surely the Census Bureau wants to find the HHC he was using.

[jobycom]

10. Well, to use reason here, IF he were going to fake a suicide for insurance reasons...

It's not difficult to tape your own wrists. The tape was loose enough that he could still move his hands. And he would of course try to make it look like a murder to make it more convincing. Throwing away his computer but not his wallet would make it look more like he was killed because of his job.

[Lex]

6. Two words: Cover. Up.

Come ON, if you can't solve it, just say so.

[rucky]

8. Can we get the FBI involved yet?

killing of a federal worker and all.

[anonymous171]

22. If was going make my suicide look like a murder I wouldn't hang myself. nt

[era veteran]

23. FBI FBI FBI FBI

Kentucky's burning.

[EFerrari]

25. I feel so badly for the man's son.

[Swede]

27. Suicide is covered 2 years after the policy is started.

So unless he bought a big policy lately,I cannot see that as a motive.