Stranger Fruit
December 7, 2009
Kentucky State Police Captain Rudzinski
The death of a census worker, who appeared to have been hanged and possibly martyred as a “fed,” was determined to have been a suicide according to Kentucky State Police last week.
I wrote about this earlier on in the investigation after the discovery of Bill Sparkman’s body hanging naked from a tree, bound with duct tape with the word “fed” scrawled in red marker on his chest. The assumption of the family who found him first and some local law enforcement representatives and journalists was that he had been murdered because of his part-time census work or for stumbling upon illegal drug activities not uncommon to the heavily-wooded region of Clay County Kentucky.
The suicide is presumed to have been due to financial distress. Sparkman had insurance policies with his only son Josh as benificiary. He had also supposedly survived a battle with cancer.
The scene of his death had the appearance of a garish murder, as a suicide it is no less awful and just as puzzling.
I reacted to the suggestions and circumstances around Sparkman’s death and voiced some suspicion that the investigators and law enforcement were dragging their heels.
Kentucky State Police presented the facts and results of the investigation carefully. Given the misleading, staged death scene, a sensitive and thorough investigation was neccesary. I am grateful for this reminder to forestall judgement when I don’t have all the facts. I am also grateful for the work of police investigators, bringing the truth to light.
My concern about violence ending Sparkman’s life has morphed to a sad contemplation of his final fears and desperation.
