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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?
1 posted on 07/16/2008 11:12:46 AM PDT by Daffynition
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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)
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To: Daffynition
Insurance?

Precisely.

3 posted on 07/16/2008 11:16:22 AM PDT by IYAS9YAS
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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
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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)
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To: Soliton

There are policies that pay for suicide?


6 posted on 07/16/2008 11:19:37 AM PDT by bvw
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To: Daffynition

Definitely a Darwin contender.


7 posted on 07/16/2008 11:20:19 AM PDT by Wright Wing
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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.")
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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?)
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To: Daffynition

Wanted to make it look like a suicide, here's the perp escaping.

10 posted on 07/16/2008 11:22:46 AM PDT by Tijeras_Slim
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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.)
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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)
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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)
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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)
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To: WayneS
If he picked the right suicide weapon, he surely didn't do much research into the type of balloon to use.


15 posted on 07/16/2008 11:25:38 AM PDT by Daffynition
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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.


16 posted on 07/16/2008 11:26:12 AM PDT by proud2beconservativeinNJ ("In God We Trust")
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To: Tijeras_Slim

You beat me to it! ;)


17 posted on 07/16/2008 11:27:06 AM PDT by Daffynition
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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.)
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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.
19 posted on 07/16/2008 11:28:15 AM PDT by HawaiianGecko
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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.....)
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To: Daffynition

That is certainly true.


21 posted on 07/16/2008 11:31:41 AM PDT by WayneS (Respect the 2nd Amendment; Repeal the 16th)
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To: proud2beconservativeinNJ; dead; xmission; COBOL2Java; Towed_Jumper; Sax; Wright Wing

See post #16 … a murder made to look like a suicide. Hmmmmmmmmm…


22 posted on 07/16/2008 11:35:05 AM PDT by Daffynition
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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.)
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To: Hi Heels

Wonder ... I don’t think his balloons were mylar.


24 posted on 07/16/2008 11:38:41 AM PDT by Daffynition
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To: therut

Typically, there is a waiting period and insurance pays regardless. Most are 2 years.


25 posted on 07/16/2008 11:41:23 AM PDT by autumnraine
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To: proud2beconservativeinNJ

But, have you seen Vince Foster in Ft. Marcy Park?


26 posted on 07/16/2008 11:44:45 AM PDT by WakeUpAndVote (I like, pork.)
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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)
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To: Daffynition

He should have just eaten at a Red Lobster.
The result would have been the same.


28 posted on 07/16/2008 12:00:23 PM PDT by SonnyBubba
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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.)
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To: SonnyBubba; dead

OMG! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!


30 posted on 07/16/2008 12:05:26 PM PDT by Daffynition
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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.....)
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To: windcliff; raven92876

ping


32 posted on 07/16/2008 12:05:40 PM PDT by stylecouncilor (I'm a loner Dottie; a rebel.)
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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)
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To: Daffynition
Similar to the Sherlock Holmes story: The Problem of Thor Bridge.
34 posted on 07/16/2008 12:06:58 PM PDT by wideminded
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To: Hi Heels

You’re SO full ‘o hot air!!! ;-D


35 posted on 07/16/2008 12:07:22 PM PDT by Daffynition
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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)
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To: wideawake
It didn’t work on the TV show either.

Evidently, the cops believe he was trying to copy an '03 episode of "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation"

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)
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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
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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.))
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To: JackOfVA

Oops. The Problem of Thor Bridge, not Adventure.

Jack


40 posted on 07/16/2008 12:26:41 PM PDT by JackOfVA
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To: Daffynition
Paging M. Poirot. . . .


41 posted on 07/16/2008 12:27:44 PM PDT by Charles Henrickson (The little grey cells. . . .)
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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.)
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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
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To: Daffynition

44 posted on 07/16/2008 12:52:21 PM PDT by martin_fierro (< |:)~)
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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.)
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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
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To: Charles Henrickson

But can you trust a man who wears spats? ;)


47 posted on 07/16/2008 1:32:17 PM PDT by Daffynition
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To: martin_fierro

Sorry you were so troubled Mr. H ... RIP.


48 posted on 07/16/2008 1:34:05 PM PDT by Daffynition
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To: Daffynition

bttt 4 later


49 posted on 07/16/2008 1:39:56 PM PDT by Abundy
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To: SampleMan
One could assume. Maybe before this thread dies, there will be more helpful hints as to how to perfect it.


50 posted on 07/16/2008 1:41:09 PM PDT by Daffynition
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