Texas Man Kills Self In Elaborate Attempt To Make Death Look Like Murder

All Headline News ^ | July 16, 2008 | Amy Beeman

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Santa Rosa, NM (AHN) -- A suspected murder victim has been found to have committed suicide in an elaborate attempt to make his death look unintentional.

Police who initially thought Thomas Hickman, 55, was murdered in New Mexico, after he was found duct taped and shot in the back of head. But now police say the Red Lobster executive re-enacted an episode of CBS's show "CSI" in which a man tied helium balloons to the gun he used to kill himself with so that the gun would float away, leading crime scene investigators to believe a murder was committed.

Authorities can not confirm whether Hickman ever saw the episode of CSI, but all of the circumstances are acutely similar. Hickman's body was discovered by motorists in a New Mexico field in March. Initially, signs pointed to the man's murder, but upon a closer look, investigators found evidence of suicide.

The first clue was when they found his gun, only about 30 feet from where his body lay. It was tied to a bundle of deflated balloons, snagged on a cactus. The Smith & Wesson Airweight was missing its grip, and the trigger guard had been ground down. The serial number was also missing, but police were able to trace it in the crime lab.

The gun's serial number matched up to Hickman's name. He had bought it in January. To further confirm the finding, gun shavings were found in Hickman's garage.

While no reason has been confirmed for the man wanting to take his own life, The Dallas News reported that at the time of his death, Hickman had lost money in the stock market, and his wife of 29 years had been very ill. Hickman had been caring for her.

According to KTXA in Dallas, Hickman's life insurance policy would have paid his wife twice as much if his death was ruled accidental.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

Wow.

[Travis McGee]

Wow is right. That cactus will get you every time.

[fso301]

What a total A$$. No concern whatsoever that police might go after and ruin the life of some innocent person.

[forkinsocket]

How sad.

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

Hickman's life insurance policy would have paid his wife twice as much if his death was ruled accidental.

[ccmay]

Since when is murder an accident? Wouldn’t it have been much easier and just as remunerative if he’d had an “accident” while “cleaning his guns”, like so many other suicides?

[Lonesome in Massachussets]

I was just citing a line from the article. You make a good point, however. Most people just center punch a tree with their car.

[Greysard]

Wouldn’t it have been much easier and just as remunerative if he’d had an “accident” while “cleaning his guns”, like so many other suicides?

He didn't need to even go that far. He could have setup a single car accident where survival would be impossible, like getting completely sober, getting a phone call from his wife about some need, telling witnesses about that, then rushing home and hitting a bridge support at 100 mph.

Such a simple and typical chain of events would be given to a junior investigator, who'd find nothing to prove intent. But no, this guy faked his murder (poorly) and experienced detectives were brought in; they immediately felt something wrong.

[Sopater]

A suspected murder victim has been found to have committed suicide in an elaborate attempt to make his death look unintentional.

Murder is not "unintentional". I think that they meant to say that it was an elaborate attempt to make his death look like it was intended by someone else.