Census Taker Death in Clay County, Kentucky, Sparks Rampant Speculation (DU mentioned)

[Joanne98]

Part-time Census Bureau employee William Sparkman was found hanged in the Daniel Boone National Forest in Clay County, Kentucky with the word "Fed" scrawled on his chest September 12, but the story didn't hit the mainstream news media until Associated Press reported it on Wednesday. The
Census Taker Death in Clay County, Kentucky, Sparks Rampant Speculation FBI is investigating whether Sparkman's death is a homicide and whether anti-government sentiment was the motive. Pending further information, the Census Bureau suspended door-to-door interviews in the rural area of Clay County, Kentucky where Sparkman was assigned.

Office of Personnel Management Director John Berry told the Washington Post, "If this is an attack on a federal employee, I can assure you that no resources will be spared to find the perpetrators."

News of Sparkman's death and the possibility that he was killed in connection with his Census duties prompted internet comments ranging from blaming right-wingers to suspicions that his death wasn't connected with the Census at all.

On the Democratic Underground, for example, one commenter proclaimed "It has begun... the wingnuts are becoming unglued." Others chimed in and blamed the killing on Michelle Bachman and Glenn Beck.

One theory set out on the Democratic Underground site is that Sparkman's death was a suicide. The scrawling of the word "Fed" on Sparkman's body does bring to mind the Tawana Brawley and Ashley Todd cases, both involving women who defaced their bodies and attributing the defacement to hate and policitical motives, but nothing that has been publicly reported concerning Sparkman suggest any mental instability or motive that would lend support to such a theory. And unlike Brawley and Todd, the deceased Sparkman would not garner attention from such an action.

Another group of commenters discussed the possibility that Sparkman was in the wrong place at the wrong time and stumbled into a meth lab.

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http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2210009/census_taker_death_in_clay_county_kentucky.html?cat=8

[tekisui]

1. Is DU the only place mentioning that as a possibility?

It seems pretty obvious. I don't think a hanging and calling out a 'fed' fits with a meth head reaction.

[Joanne98]

2. No. I don't know why she quoted us. Everybody's speculating.

[OregonBlue]

4. One of our friendly local trolls obviously sent us our threads. They really are pitiful. They got

nailed with the woman with the B on her face with their pants down and they are hoping against hope that this story will turn out to be bogus and they can blame DU.

[anigbrowl]

9. DU has sufficiently high traffic that it often comes up near the top in Google searches

I don't keep up with traffic rankings, but this is one of the most popular left-leaning sites. The forum format with multiple threads on a hot topic often generates more search hits than other sites that re more blog-oriented.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

5. No, but it was particularly thick last night.

Emphasis on the thick.

[imdjh]

6. They are too young to call him a "g man" . They would have to read or watch old movies to know that.

[JonQ]

3. No no, it's only speculation if you don't know for sure

just ask anyone around here, they aren't guessing as to the culprit, they KNOW.

[imdjh]

8. blasphemer

[1776Forever]

7. If you haven't seen this yet check this Glenn Beck Bachmann video out!

Census worker hanged, is anti-government extremism behind murder?
September 23, 10:44 PM
Top News Examiner, Scott McDowell

http://www.examiner.com/x-24103-Top-News-Examiner~y2009m9d23-Census-worker-hanged-is-antigovernment-extremism-behind-murder

The FBI is investigating the hanging death of a census worker in rural Kentucky. He was found hanged in the Daniel Boone National Forest in southwest Kentucky on September 12th, but the story is just now coming to light.

While the FBI hasn’t said whether this is a murder or suicide, it appears this may be a murder linked to anti-government sentiment. The word “FED” was scrawled across the chest of 51 year old Bill Sparkman’s body. It has not been released whether the word was written or scratched into his chest.
Bill Sparkman was a part time census taker and teacher. His truck was found nearby with his work computer still inside. He had worked for the census since 2003.

Anti-government anger and fear surrounding the census has been at a high this summer. Conservative commentators and republican politicians have expressed their concerns that the Obama administration will use the data collected for political gains. See the video at this link:

http://www.examiner.com/x-24103-Top-News-Examiner~y2009m9d23-Census-worker-hanged-is-antigovernment-extremism-behind-murder

.............

Sick Sick Sick! And they say their hands are clean? BS!

:grr:

[DainBramaged]

10. Hey AP. MAYBE it was aliens and he refused to submit to an anal probe....

[mnhtnbb]

11. delete dup

[mnhtnbb]

12. This is part of the country where "revenuers and moonshiners"

battled. The "fed" label suggests activity which someone wanted to hide from the Feds.

http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=o&d=51907403

[emilyg]

13. My friend in Ky. was born in

that part of Ky. He said the feeling is it was Moonshine related.

[mnhtnbb]

14. Wouldn't surprise me.

[intheflow]

15. It was the AP who said the FBI said is might be suicide.

That meme did not start with DU.

[defendandprotect]

16. And maybe it's another attempt by right wing to spark civil violence?

[DireStrike]

17. It should be obvious, forensically, whether it was carved before or after he died, right?

...But then, he may have been carved alive and then murdered.