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Balloons carried gun away in Red Lobster executive's 'CSI'-like suicide
The Dallas Morning News ^
| July 16, 2008
| TIARA M. ELLIS
Posted on 07/16/2008 11:12:46 AM PDT by Daffynition
Thomas Hickman drove through New Mexico, police say, until his Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo ran out of gas. Then the 55-year-old North Richland Hills man walked into a field, tied helium balloons to a gun, covered his mouth with duct tape, and shot himself in the back of the head, according to New Mexico State Police.
That determination is a far leap from what authorities first suspected when Mr. Hickman's body was discovered March 15 near Santa Rosa, N.M., about 100 miles east of Albuquerque. Authorities initially thought the Red Lobster executive had been kidnapped and slain. Thomas Hickman
But investigators came to the conclusion that Mr. Hickman committed suicide. The first clue was the bundle of white helium balloons, with the gun still attached, found snagged on bushes and cactus near Mr. Hickman's body.
The grip of the Smith & Wesson Airweight had been removed and the trigger guard ground down, said Lt. Rick Anglada of New Mexico State Police.
"He took as much weight off as he could to make it light as possible," Lt. Anglada said. The plan apparently was to have the gun float far away after being fired, but that didn't happen.
(Excerpt) Read more at dallasnews.com ...
TOPICS: Business/Economy; Conspiracy; Local News; Society
KEYWORDS: suicide
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Why would he want someone to think he was murdered? Insurance?
To: Daffynition
He picked the right gun for it. Those Airweights are VERY light.
2
posted on
07/16/2008 11:15:20 AM PDT
by
WayneS
(Respect the 2nd Amendment; Repeal the 16th)
To: Daffynition
3
posted on
07/16/2008 11:16:22 AM PDT
by
IYAS9YAS
To: Daffynition
Some life insurance will pay even for suicide if you have had the policy for a certain number of years. A friend of mine killed himself and his insurance payed.
4
posted on
07/16/2008 11:17:02 AM PDT
by
therut
To: Daffynition
Why would he want someone to think he was murdered? Insurance?Some policies won't pay for suicide.
5
posted on
07/16/2008 11:18:16 AM PDT
by
Soliton
(Investigate, study, learn, then express an opinion)
To: Soliton
There are policies that pay for suicide?
6
posted on
07/16/2008 11:19:37 AM PDT
by
bvw
To: Daffynition
Definitely a Darwin contender.
To: Daffynition
“...and shot himself in the back of the head...”
How many people commit suicide by shooting themselves in the BACK of the head? It had to be staged to look like a kidnap/murder for insurance payouts...my guess.
8
posted on
07/16/2008 11:21:25 AM PDT
by
Towed_Jumper
(Stephen Hopkins: Founding Father who had Cerebral Palsy.."My hand trembles, my heart does not.")
To: Daffynition
It didn’t work on the TV show either.
9
posted on
07/16/2008 11:22:15 AM PDT
by
wideawake
(Why is it that those who call themselves Constitutionalists know the least about the Constitution?)
To: Daffynition

Wanted to make it look like a suicide, here's the perp escaping.
To: bvw
There are policies that pay off if someone is murdered. If the balloons had worked as he planned, the policy may have been paid out.
11
posted on
07/16/2008 11:22:59 AM PDT
by
theDentist
(Qwerty ergo typo : I type, therefore I misspelll.)
To: Daffynition
The first clue was the bundle of white helium balloons, with the gun still attached, found snagged on bushes and cactus near Mr. Hickman's body. Eternal D'OHmnation
12
posted on
07/16/2008 11:23:22 AM PDT
by
Sax
(this idea was not a practical deterrent, for reasons which, at this moment, must be all too obvious)
To: Daffynition
The first clue was the bundle of white helium balloons, with the gun still attached, found snagged on bushes and cactus near Mr. Hickman's body. From the great beyond can be heard a ghostly "D'OH!"
13
posted on
07/16/2008 11:24:41 AM PDT
by
COBOL2Java
("It's not my fault if McCain loses - it's his own damn fault!" - Mark Levin)
To: Daffynition
Imagine how hard it would be to pull this off in England, even if you could find a black market knife....
14
posted on
07/16/2008 11:24:58 AM PDT
by
xmission
(Democrats have killed our Soldiers by rewarding the enemy for brutality)
To: WayneS
If he picked the right suicide weapon, he surely didn't do much research into the type of balloon to use.
To: Daffynition
What about a murderer trying to make it look like suicide? He could have been kidnapped and this elaborate scheme to hoist the gun was put in place by the murderer to throw off a murder investigation. I’ve watched Columbo and Monk.
To: Tijeras_Slim
To: Daffynition
The first clue was the bundle of white helium balloons, with the gun still attached, found snagged on bushes and cactus near Mr. Hickman's body. Even in death, a dumbass.
18
posted on
07/16/2008 11:27:55 AM PDT
by
dead
(I've got my eye out for Mullah Omar.)
To: bvw

Most policies pay full value for suicides, but there is a 2-3 year elimination period (so to speak) before it will pay off. If you have a typical whole life policy and have had it for a few years then it will pay. This guy was probably going for "double indemnification" as most policies pay double for murder or other rare types of death.
To: Daffynition
Sadly, you will no longer be allowed to off yourself in this manner in California....
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2045953/posts
20
posted on
07/16/2008 11:31:21 AM PDT
by
Hi Heels
(Better a rino than a jackass....sigh.....)
To: Daffynition
21
posted on
07/16/2008 11:31:41 AM PDT
by
WayneS
(Respect the 2nd Amendment; Repeal the 16th)
To: proud2beconservativeinNJ; dead; xmission; COBOL2Java; Towed_Jumper; Sax; Wright Wing
See post #16
a murder made to look like a suicide. Hmmmmmmmmm
To: HawaiianGecko
How about a leap into a volcano? Would that destroy all evidence?
23
posted on
07/16/2008 11:35:28 AM PDT
by
TC Rider
(The United States Constitution - 1791. All Rights Reserved.)
To: Hi Heels
Wonder ... I don’t think his balloons were mylar.
To: therut
Typically, there is a waiting period and insurance pays regardless. Most are 2 years.
To: proud2beconservativeinNJ
But, have you seen Vince Foster in Ft. Marcy Park?
Imagine going to all this trouble and not using enough balloons.
I've heard a similar story but that one involved a gun tied to a weight with a long cord. Dangle the weight inside a well then walk away from the well to the length of the cord, pull trigger, drop gun and weight pulls gun away and down the hole. Body is found dead of a gunshot with no gun in the area. But that guy had a similar problem; he either misjudged the length of the rope or didn't bother to check the depth of the well but the weight hit bottom before the gun made it to the hole.
Of course if you actually think suicide is the best option you can't be that bright to begin with.
27
posted on
07/16/2008 11:56:56 AM PDT
by
ICU812
(Oldtime Freeper, back from a long hiatus)
To: Daffynition
He should have just eaten at a Red Lobster.
The result would have been the same.
To: Daffynition
He should have made the gun out of ice before shooting himself in the desert. Or maybe butter.
Mmmmmmmm
. Butter gun
.
29
posted on
07/16/2008 12:00:30 PM PDT
by
dead
(I've got my eye out for Mullah Omar.)
To: SonnyBubba; dead
OMG! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
To: Daffynition
I'm not doin' it unless I get cool balloons.
31
posted on
07/16/2008 12:05:36 PM PDT
by
Hi Heels
(Better a rino than a jackass....sigh.....)
To: windcliff; raven92876
32
posted on
07/16/2008 12:05:40 PM PDT
by
stylecouncilor
(I'm a loner Dottie; a rebel.)
To: dead
"He should have made the gun out of ice before shooting himself in the desert. Or maybe butter." "I think a good gift for the President would be a chocolate revolver. and since he is so busy, you'd probably have to run up to him real quick and give it to him."
Deep Thoughts
Jack Handy
33
posted on
07/16/2008 12:05:43 PM PDT
by
Joe 6-pack
(Que me amat, amet et canem meum)
To: Daffynition
Similar to the Sherlock Holmes story: The Problem of Thor Bridge.
To: Hi Heels
You’re SO full ‘o hot air!!! ;-D
To: proud2beconservativeinNJ
Dead dude should’ve had gunpowder residue on his hand - kind hard to take gloves off when your gray noodle matter has been jettisoned out the side of your skull.
36
posted on
07/16/2008 12:10:04 PM PDT
by
Sax
(this idea was not a practical deterrent, for reasons which, at this moment, must be all too obvious)
To: wideawake
37
posted on
07/16/2008 12:14:13 PM PDT
by
COBOL2Java
("It's not my fault if McCain loses - it's his own damn fault!" - Mark Levin)
To: ICU812
Sherlock Holmes solved it in the Adventure of Thor Bridge.
Jack
38
posted on
07/16/2008 12:24:38 PM PDT
by
JackOfVA
To: wideminded
I played Detective Blore in a little theater presentation of Agatha Christie's "10 Litle Indians". I was killed by falling statuary but the final death was a gunshot to the head with a catapult used to hurl the gun into the sea as the perp does himself in.
Everything old is new again!
39
posted on
07/16/2008 12:25:53 PM PDT
by
Young Werther
(Julius Caesar (Quae Cum Ita Sunt. Since these things are so.))
To: JackOfVA
Oops. The Problem of Thor Bridge, not Adventure.
Jack
40
posted on
07/16/2008 12:26:41 PM PDT
by
JackOfVA
To: Daffynition
Paging M. Poirot. . . .
To: Daffynition
So if you want to kill someone and REALLY make it look like suicide, this would be it.
42
posted on
07/16/2008 12:29:14 PM PDT
by
SampleMan
(We are a free and industrious people, socialist nannies do not become us.)
To: bvw
There are policies that pay for suicide?Usually there's a waiting period. I think my policy is a year.
43
posted on
07/16/2008 12:31:49 PM PDT
by
wbill
To: Daffynition
To: bvw
All life insurance policies pay for a suicide if the act occurs two years from the date of issue.
45
posted on
07/16/2008 1:07:20 PM PDT
by
BubbaBobTX
(Obama is all about hope and change: he hopes you don't find out what he wants to change.)
To: bvw
There are policies that pay for suicide?
_____
Yes. My company provides a life insurance benefit, and it paid for the guy on my staff who offed himself a few months back.
46
posted on
07/16/2008 1:19:00 PM PDT
by
dmz
To: Charles Henrickson
But can you trust a man who wears spats? ;)
To: martin_fierro
Sorry you were so troubled Mr. H ... RIP.
To: Daffynition
49
posted on
07/16/2008 1:39:56 PM PDT
by
Abundy
To: SampleMan
One could assume. Maybe before this thread dies, there will be more helpful hints as to how to perfect it.
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