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OU student left suicide message
The Oklahoman ^ | Sun October 16, 2005 | Nolan Clay

Posted on 10/16/2005 11:02:43 AM PDT by MizSterious

Sun October 16, 2005
OU student left suicide message

By Nolan Clay
The Oklahoman

NORMAN - The University of Oklahoma student who died in an explosion Oct. 1 left a message on his computer that he was going to quit living, his father said.

The FBI read the message to the father Friday, after he came to Oklahoma to clear out his son's university-owned apartment.

Joel "Joe" Henry Hinrichs III, an engineering student, died when his bomb went off about 100 yards from the packed football stadium during the second quarter of OU's night game against Kansas State.

Hinrichs, 21, was from Colorado Springs, Colo. He had a reputation as a loner and had struggled at times with his grades. His parents had begun divorce proceedings.

Joel Hinrichs Jr. said he understood investigators found the message on the computer screen when they arrived at the apartment.

"It was a single line of text on his computer," said the father, who lives in Colorado Springs. "The cursor was still blinking at the end."

The father said he could not recall the exact wording but said his son used profanity in the message and was obviously very angry. "He wrote he was dissatisfied with the situation and was going to quit living," the father said.

His description of the message is consistent with the recollection of others who have been briefed about the investigation by the FBI.

No links to terrorist groups

FBI officials have said they may never know whether the student wanted to get inside the stadium. The student did not have a season ticket.

FBI officials also have said the investigation has not found any links between the student and terrorist organizations.

His father said he thinks his son was just committing suicide and never intended to hurt anyone else.

The father said the FBI on Friday showed him the fractured bench where his son was sitting when the bomb exploded and photos of his son's headless body and a tattered backpack.

The father said when cleaning out the apartment, he learned his son apparently had been having trouble sleeping and had bought Sominex, a sleep aid.

The younger Hinrichs had a long fascination with ammunition and bombs, his relatives and friends said. Inside his bedroom in Norman were several used metal artillery shells -- the largest about 2 feet long. He had belts of used brass shell casings, a box of spent bullets and military ammo containers.

He also had items more typical of many college students -- textbooks, empty liquor bottles, magazines and a martial arts movie videotape.

The father allowed two reporters from The Oklahoman into the bedroom briefly Thursday.

Bomb experts removed explosive-related materials from the apartment Oct. 2. Contributing: Randy Ellis


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Extended News; News/Current Events; US: Oklahoma
KEYWORDS: batf; bomb; cia; fakesuicidenote; fbi; hinrichs; homelandsecurity; normanbombing; normanbomer; ou; oubomber; oubombing; waronterror
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I haven't seen this posted on FR yet--if this is a duplicate, my apologies.
1 posted on 10/16/2005 11:02:44 AM PDT by MizSterious
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To: indcons; PhiKapMom; LibertyRocks

Spin alert--again. What I find most interesting is that the father can't remember "exactly" what the so-called suicide note (if that's what it was) said. If it had been my son, it would have been burned into my brain--I'd be trying to forget what it said, and not succeeding. I'm guessing this because a friend of mine (just a friend, not a son or daughter) committed suicide, and I'll never forget her note.


2 posted on 10/16/2005 11:05:09 AM PDT by MizSterious (Now, if only we could convince them all to put on their bomb-vests and meet in Mecca...)
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Comment #3 Removed by Moderator

To: hispanarepublicana; eastforker; weegee; SauronOfMordor; All
"He wrote he was dissatisfied with the situation and was going to quit living," the father said.

For it being only one line, he seems to have said quite a lot.

4 posted on 10/16/2005 11:09:11 AM PDT by MizSterious (Now, if only we could convince them all to put on their bomb-vests and meet in Mecca...)
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To: Certain_Doom
Any evidence contrary to known facts is considered spin.

And by "known facts" I mean newspaper and television reports that there were no suicide notes. Now, suddenly, there was one? Maybe you should get back to your job in Dave Boren's office.

5 posted on 10/16/2005 11:11:49 AM PDT by MizSterious (Now, if only we could convince them all to put on their bomb-vests and meet in Mecca...)
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To: MizSterious
He had a reputation as a loner and had struggled at times with his grades. His parents had begun divorce proceedings.

"Nice guys who keep to themselves" should be watched contantly.

The father said when cleaning out the apartment, he learned his son apparently had been having trouble sleeping and had bought Sominex, a sleep aid.

How long before the lawsuit?

The younger Hinrichs had a long fascination with ammunition and bombs, his relatives and friends said. Inside his bedroom in Norman were several used metal artillery shells -- the largest about 2 feet long. He had belts of used brass shell casings, a box of spent bullets and military ammo containers.

And again, jmust like Columbine, shouldn't the parents have known something odd was going on?

6 posted on 10/16/2005 11:12:08 AM PDT by 50sDad (Star Trek Tri-D Chess: http://my.ohio.voyager.net/~abartmes/tactical.htm)
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To: MizSterious
It said, "Death to the f*cking infidels!"
7 posted on 10/16/2005 11:12:22 AM PDT by Andy from Beaverton (I only vote Republican to stop the Democrats)
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To: MizSterious

I think the dad is reeling, and whatever it was would make the son look bad. With all the rumors I would imagine the dad is trying to protect his son - after death. I'm sure there's guilt that he didn't see what was going on.


Curious as to why the mom hasn't spoken out.


8 posted on 10/16/2005 11:12:47 AM PDT by justche (Many at FR would respond to Christ "Damn straight, I'll cast the first stone!" - MeanWestTexan)
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To: MizSterious

Funny, I was just thinking of posting the same article. Glad I did a search first.

Too bad the "suicide message" was on his computer. A hand written note would have wrapped it up a lot nicer for Boren and the FBI. Anybody could have typed it.

I think he killed himself, I also think he intended to take others with him. The jury's still out on a conspiracy, but I'm finding it hard to believe his room mate didn't notice his bomb lab in the apartment.


9 posted on 10/16/2005 11:14:03 AM PDT by digitalbrownshirt (http://digitalbrownshirt.blogspot.com)
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To: MizSterious

The FBI left the computer on this whole time through the investigation? The cursor was still blinking? I find that to be... BS.


10 posted on 10/16/2005 11:14:31 AM PDT by Cougar66 (If I wanted a woman to be President, I'd have voted for John Kerry)
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To: MizSterious

WHAT??? No need to burn every middle-easterner at the stake? No terrorists? No illegal aliens? No space aliens!!!

Some Freepers here are gonna be really angry when they remember what they posted that nite, and how silly that looks when it's Goggled now....


11 posted on 10/16/2005 11:14:34 AM PDT by TWohlford
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To: 50sDad
Forget the parents--what about his roommate? Living in the same small apartment, and he never noticed the hundreds of pounds of explosives lying about--or the odd odor they produced--the same explosives that it took almost 24 hours to remove? I don't see how he could have gone to the loo without tripping over some of them. Yet, they continue to claim he was not only innocent, but hadn't the slightest idea what was going on.
12 posted on 10/16/2005 11:14:36 AM PDT by MizSterious (Now, if only we could convince them all to put on their bomb-vests and meet in Mecca...)
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Comment #13 Removed by Moderator

To: MizSterious

This reminds me of the torn-up note found in the sequestered Vince Fosters office 3 weeks after the alleged suicide. Foster had 'torn up' his scribbled note, while Heinrich left an obscurity on his PC which his father probably did not know how to operate. Fiction again.


14 posted on 10/16/2005 11:16:23 AM PDT by Texas Songwriter
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To: digitalbrownshirt

LOL--I wish you had posted it first! I have the hardest time with Daily Oklahoman's website. My browser just hates their code.


15 posted on 10/16/2005 11:16:24 AM PDT by MizSterious (Now, if only we could convince them all to put on their bomb-vests and meet in Mecca...)
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Comment #16 Removed by Moderator

To: digitalbrownshirt
>The jury's still out on a conspiracy


It's strange that the note
wasn't found folded in his
copy of Catcher . . .

17 posted on 10/16/2005 11:18:12 AM PDT by theFIRMbss
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To: TWohlford

Besides the terrorist idea, I didn't see any of those brought up as theories. Why don't you point out where they were mentioned?

I'm sure the FBI is glad there's still plenty of sheep left in this country that'll believe anything they're told.


18 posted on 10/16/2005 11:18:18 AM PDT by digitalbrownshirt (http://digitalbrownshirt.blogspot.com)
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To: justche

It would be interesting to see what she says.

I agree, though, that dad is trying to cover for his son. But who (or what) is Dave Boren covering for?


19 posted on 10/16/2005 11:18:42 AM PDT by MizSterious (Now, if only we could convince them all to put on their bomb-vests and meet in Mecca...)
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To: Cougar66

You read it wrong Cougar, they read the message to him, it wasn't on the screen. Maybe there was something about Plamegate on the PC? lol


20 posted on 10/16/2005 11:21:04 AM PDT by Cougar66 (If I wanted a woman to be President, I'd have voted for John Kerry)
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