Can someone explain the following to me?

[The Straight Story]

Man Jumps to Death From Empire State Bldg.
"More than 30 people have committed suicide at the building since it opened in 1931. Before Wednesday, the most recent was believed to have been in 2004, when a man jumped from the observation deck."

http://www.breitbart.com/news/2006/02/02/D8FH2EU01.html

Either it was or it wasn't. How is it they 'believe' it to have been? Were their possibly stealth suicides where no body was found?

I dunno about reporters these days....

[EstimatedProphet]

1. It's called "Getting paid by the word"

[eyesroll]

2. Maybe there have been other deaths at the building since, and they're

not sure whether it was a suicide or what?

(i.e. someone OD'd in a bathroom)

[liberalpress]

3. That's exactly right...

If the reporter were to come right out and say.."The last one was in 2004" and that death turned out to be an OD in the restroom, or an accidental death, then the story would be inaccurate

[China_cat]

5. There's always the chance that it wasn't suicide

somebody could have been thrown off the deck.

[Burma Jones]

4. Well, you could jump off the Building and onto a cab that

speeds your broken body off to Staten Island, where all suicides are condemned to spend eternity......

[Oeditpus Rex]

6. Even if a suicide note is found

a reporter should still refer to it as "an apparent suicide." The deceased could write the note, then change his/her mind but die by other means.

It should be reported as a suicide only if a coroner's report says it was, and in many cases it's not possible to determine.

Moral: Jumping can be harmful, whether from a building or to a conclusion.