Census worker hanged with 'fed' on body

[one...two...tree 2,762]

The FBI is investigating whether anti-government sentiment led to the hanging death of a U.S. Census worker near a Kentucky cemetery. A law enforcement official told The Associated Press the word 'fed" was scrawled on the dead man's chest.

The body of Bill Sparkman, a 51-year-old part-time Census field worker and teacher, was found Sept. 12 in a remote patch of the Daniel Boone National Forest in rural southeast Kentucky. The Census has suspended door-to-door interviews in rural Clay County, where the body was found, pending the outcome of the investigation.

Investigators are still trying to determine whether the death was a killing or a suicide, and if a killing, whether the motive was related to his government job or to anti-government sentiment. An autopsy report is pending.

Investigators have said little about the case. The law enforcement official, who was not authorized to discuss the case and requested anonymity, said Wednesday the man was found hanging from a tree and the word "fed" was written on the dead man's chest. The official did not say what type of instrument was used to write the word.

FBI spokesman David Beyer said the bureau is helping state police with the case.

"Our job is to determine if there was foul play involved — and that's part of the investigation — and if there was foul play involved, whether that is related to his employment as a census worker," said Beyer.

Beyer declined to confirm or discuss any details about the crime scene.

Lucindia Scurry-Johnson, assistant director of the Census Bureau's southern office in Charlotte, N.C., said law enforcement officers have told the agency the matter is "an apparent homicide" but nothing else.

Census employees were told Sparkman's truck was found nearby, and a computer he was using for work was found inside it, she said. He worked part-time for the Census, usually conducting interviews once or twice a month.

Sparkman has worked for the Census since 2003, spanning five counties in the surrounding area. Much of his recent work had been in Clay County, officials said.

Door-to-door operations have been suspended in Clay County pending a resolution of the investigation, Scurry-Johnson said.

The U.S. Census Bureau is overseen by the Commerce Department.

"We are deeply saddened by the loss of our co-worker," Commerce Secretary Gary Locke said in a statement. "Our thoughts and prayers are with William Sparkman's son, other family and friends."

Locke called him "a shining example of the hardworking men and women employed by the Census Bureau."

The most deadly attack on federal workers came in 1995 when the federal building in Oklahoma City was devastated by a truck bomb, killing 168 and injuring more than 680. Tim McVeigh, who was executed for the bombing, carried literature by modern, ultra-right-wing anti-government authors.

A private group called PEER, Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, tracks violence against employees who enforce environmental regulations, but the group's executive director, Jeff Ruch, said it's hard to know about all of the cases because some agencies don't share data on instances of violence against employees.

Ruch said that after the 1995 bombing of the federal building in Oklahoma City, "we kept getting reports from employees that attacks and intimidation against federal employees had not diminished, and that's why we've been tracking them."

"Even as illustrated in town hall meetings today, there is a distinct hostility in a large segment of the population toward people who work for their government," Ruch said.

___

McMurray reported from Lexington, Ky. Associated Press writer Hope Yen in Washington contributed to this report.

Source: AP News

[peejay 327]

At least he wasn't gunshot. Maybe we need to regulate the sale of rope. What we need is rope control. Better yet, the sale of rope should be banned completely. Then this tragedy could have been avoided.

[Danno 1,228]

Is it possible it was a suicide?

Maybe the guy was drunk and meant to carve his name but forgot exactly how to spell it.

Poor Fred.

[Heracles 417]

I'm surprised they can spell Fed out there.

[spookyturtle 9,466]

What a terrible tragedy, especially if it's a murder.

[Heracles 417]

What a terrible tragedy, especially if it's a murder.

He should have been escorted by the Boston tough guys. They would have knocked em all out.

Heck they would have shaken in their boots at the mere sight of these guys.

[spookyturtle 9,466]

What a terrible tragedy, especially if it's a murder.

He should have been escorted by the Boston tough guys. They would have knocked em all out.

Heck they would have shaken in their boots at the mere sight of these guys.

Come on up and judge for youself. All talk, no action. You're nothing but a blowhard, full of hot air.

[웃 910]

Is it possible it was a suicide?

Maybe the guy was drunk and meant to carve his name but forgot exactly how to spell it.

Poor Fred.

I think you're on to something...Or is this the Dannologic they speak of?

Edited September 24, 2009 by Confucian

[Ban Hammer 14,665]

At least he wasn't gunshot. Maybe we need to regulate the sale of rope. What we need is rope control. Better yet, the sale of rope should be banned completely. Then this tragedy could have been avoided.

obviously, republicans did it.

[scandal 951]

[rebeccajo 14]

How horrible!

[Gary and Alla 3,696]

At least he wasn't gunshot. Maybe we need to regulate the sale of rope. What we need is rope control. Better yet, the sale of rope should be banned completely. Then this tragedy could have been avoided.

I agree. At the MINIMUM the sale of any rope with breaking strength or 80 lbs should require a background check, registration and some sort of government ID and internet sales should be banned. Mail order rope is most often used in these crimes

[NickD 203]

Those back hill corn squeezing revolutionaries more than likely pegged this guy as a revenuer.

Somewhat of a controversial subject, in one view, these people have the same spirit our founders of this country had with freedom to squeeze out an existance. On the other hand, government feels they have the right to destroy corn squeezing distilleries and to charge huge taxes on those that are legal. Been an ongoing war for years, but they do hang revenuers.

Do tend to admire them somewhat in their fight for freedom, makes me feel like a sheep because when our government tells me to bend over, I only ask, how far.

[Nagishkaw 510]

At least he wasn't gunshot. Maybe we need to regulate the sale of rope. What we need is rope control. Better yet, the sale of rope should be banned completely. Then this tragedy could have been avoided.

[NickD 203]

At least he wasn't gunshot. Maybe we need to regulate the sale of rope. What we need is rope control. Better yet, the sale of rope should be banned completely. Then this tragedy could have been avoided.

Mythbusters proved you can make a very strong rope out of toilet paper, let's ban that too.