[Windswept]

Just wondered what 'you' thought of the shooting death of Gerald Washington, a newly-elected mayor for a small southern town.

The town authorities claim he committed suicide.

His family says he had to have been murdered.

What do you think?

http://edition.cnn.com/2007/US/01/06....ap/index.html

[Majost]

OK, so, I was just about to clamour for the beer/I don't care option, but for some reason, I actually clicked through to the story. It's a bit more interesting than you make it seem, Windy. That said, I still don't think I'll actually vote one way or the other.

[Banana]

The whole thing seems too pat for a suicide.

[Windswept]

Originally Posted by Majost OK, so, I was just about to clamour for the beer/I don't care option, but for some reason, I actually clicked through to the story. It's a bit more interesting than you make it seem, Windy. That said, I still don't think I'll actually vote one way or the other.

Well, I was trying to avoid giving away my opinion on the matter, so I made the tone of my post 'neutral'.

I think you should vote.

[spikeh]

Murdered.

[Robo]

Originally Posted by Banana The whole thing seems too pat for a suicide.

Exactly. Ordering letterheads and shirts with your name on it is not exactly the sort of thing one does when they plan to kill themselves that afternoon. I highly doubt he was that distraught over possibly losing his $4 bet, either.

It seems like the only thing even remotely suggesting it was a suicide was that the gun was close to his chest when he was shot, and that doesn't really suggest sucide at all.

The guy just won a political campaign, for crying out loud. There's no motive for a suicide. There is, however, motive for murder. I'm sure many people in that town weren't too happy about his election.

[Robo]

Hahaha...there's a third option now. Sounds like Brad.

But really, I think the evidence I've seen shows he was murdered.

[turbulentfurball]

I'm leaning towards murdered. Fingerprints on the weapon aren't mentioned anywhere, and that makes me more suspicious.

[spikeh]

Originally Posted by Roboman Hahaha...there's a third option now. Sounds like Brad. But really, I think the evidence I've seen shows he was murdered.

I don't know whereof I speak on this but if you've read the same second-hand reports as I have, you've not seen any evidence. I think he was murdered but we don't know.

Edit: Heh, didn't mean to sound like such an ass-holish school teacher when I wrote that. Sorry.

[alcimedes]

Well, it's not like everyone leaves a note either.

I wouldn't say that it's one or the other, but I would certainly hope that the investigation would go a little deeper than "suicide because we don't have anything else to go on".

[billybobsky]

Yeah... I'm not convinced it was suicide...

[Majost]

Originally Posted by Windswept Well, I was trying to avoid giving away my opinion on the matter, so I made the tone of my post 'neutral'. I think you should vote.

Well, okay... but only because you asked.

[turbulentfurball]

So Carol, the silence surrounding your opinion on these events is deafening. What do you think?

[Robo]

Originally Posted by spikeh I don't know whereof I speak on this but if you've read the same second-hand reports as I have, you've not seen any evidence. I think he was murdered but we don't know.

That's why the option reads "I think he was murdered." Not "I know."

Assholey schoolteacher, right back atcha!

But you're right, I should have said "All the evidence I've read about through second-hand reports on the internet."

[alcimedes]

I think it's a weird place to murder someone.

The most likely scenario (IMO) is that this individual did something, very, very bad in his past. Something that no one knew about.

Then he got elected, was on TV etc. and whatever it was from his past caught up with him. Someone said something, sent a letter, etc. that made him think his past was going to catch up with him and he killed himself rather than face it.

The fact that he died in his old high school parking lot would lead me to think it happened when he was in high school.

I'd still investigate it as if it were a murder though, because until you know you should be looking.

[Schnauzer]

Originally Posted by spikeh Murdered.

yeah

[spikeh]

Originally Posted by Roboman That's why the option reads "I think he was murdered." Not "I know." Assholey schoolteacher, right back atcha! But you're right, I should have said "All the evidence I've read about through second-hand reports on the internet."

Not having a go at anyone for voting, I'm saying that nobody here has seen any evidence. You've read conjecture and second-hand accounts. It was the word evidence that made me flick the bitch switch

[drewprops]

Voted to wait for evidence, but sounds fishy. We had a local Sheriff gunned down in his driveway, turned out to be a hit from people within his office. That police force has been considered "dirty" by many people in the area for some time now and the hit only underscored that sense.

[Robo]

Originally Posted by alcimedes I think it's a weird place to murder someone. The most likely scenario (IMO) is that this individual did something, very, very bad in his past. Something that no one knew about. Then he got elected, was on TV etc. and whatever it was from his past caught up with him. Someone said something, sent a letter, etc. that made him think his past was going to catch up with him and he killed himself rather than face it. The fact that he died in his old high school parking lot would lead me to think it happened when he was in high school. I'd still investigate it as if it were a murder though, because until you know you should be looking.

Ooh, blackmail! I hadn't thought about that.

I read just read a book that involved blackmail driving someone to suicide. (<i>The Murder of Roger Ackroyd</i>m which is now one of my favorite books ever, and no, I didn't just give away the ending. ) I wonder why I didn't think of that myself.

I'm no match for Poirot.