AP source: Census worker hanged with 'fed' on body

Associated Press ^ | Sept. 23, 2009 | DEVLIN BARRETT and JEFFREY McMURRAY

[Free ThinkerNY]

WASHINGTON (AP) - The FBI is investigating the hanging death of a U.S. Census worker near a Kentucky cemetery. A law enforcement official says the word "fed" was scrawled on his chest.

The body of Bill Sparkman, a 51-year-old Census field worker and occasional teacher, was found Sept. 12 in the Daniel Boone National Forest in rural southeast Kentucky.

Investigators have said little about the case.

[glock rocks]

Hey-zoo-Kristy dude. DU man~You big time now! You gonna fart rainbows!

Eeergh. <shake head vigorously> Um, hey there Eaker.

Now then... if DU is going to feature someone, why not Humble's dwarf?

or Allegra's socks?

[an amused spectator]

Probably a good 92-97% - but mojitojoe is correct.

The professional Census people know they don't have it all.

[an amused spectator]

He had a laptop, so I’m presuming interviews for another Census operation, if the laptop was Commerce issue.

[an amused spectator]

From reports I've been hearing, Census Takers have been asking entirely too many questions of normal, everyday Americans.

LOL! Your informants are full of beans.

These are addressing listing operations that are running right now. They're not even supposed to ask your name yet unless it's another part of the Census regular operations (not decennial).

[an amused spectator]

Why do you say that? I'll agree that they don't have, literally, every GPS, but they certainly have nearly every one.

No, they don't. Maybe 90-95%, but multiply that by millions of housing units, and you get a big number.

[GLDNGUN]

He had a laptop, so I’m presuming interviews for another Census operation, if the laptop was Commerce issue.

I've personally known numerous census employees, including crew leaders and supervisors. I have never known one to have a laptop computer issued by the government.

[hiredhand]

Every time I think of DU I picture a twinkle toes cleaning up after a party using clothes pins to hang freshly laundered gerbils by their tails on an outdoor line.

It's quite a contrast!

They say diversity, but mean "pet shopping, homosexuality, pedophilia, and other unspeakable sexual deviance". Not only this, but they're fairly forceful about insisting that you and I accept it as a norm, and if we don't then we're labeled as discriminatory. Do you suppose the idiots know the definition of a dissenter?

They say, "right to choose", but mean "the murder of the unborn". Somehow, the pursuit of life, liberty, and happiness is acceptable even if you have to murder a helpless human to achieve it!

They say, "security", but mean "worshiping their elitist leaders and forfeiting freedom and liberty as intended by God to be enjoyed by all. This is in exchange for a system which does its best to reduce everybody to mediocrity and leaves a society ripe for victimhood by criminal elements who will never abide by such deceitful and treacherous anti-freedom laws. Plus, the idiots are willing to vote for those who would disarm EVERYBODY, especially those who don't believe the lie they spread about forfeiting accountability and personal security, in spite of obvious, observable truth! They should check the court records and see how many police departments have been successfully sued during the history of the United States for failing to personally protect ANYBODY. The answer is NONE.

They get some warped sense of feel good by doing green things and reducing their carbon footprint and greenhouse gas emissions, and feel good about paying taxes for social programs because it helps those less fortunate. But I haven't seen a single tighty whitey in the hood doing charity work, or donating anything personally, or fostering some kids from these less fortunates. The few that I did know who tried it out didn't continue for long! In fact, they all developed a pronounced sense of disdain for those who up until that time, they thought they were helping.

They should bear in mind that charity by proxy is called THIEVERY! They wouldn't last 30 minutes on a walk through one of the neighborhoods of the people they think they're helping. The truth is that those who they think they're helping despise them and would kill them for $50 or less...and DO when they get the opportunity!

Yet, these narrow minded, brainless idiots accuse us of having a "mob mentality" and being "violent", hateful racists for disagreeing? Where have tea parties become violent? Even when law abiding citizens show up armed in protest, they're peaceful!

The definition of a person who is meek is one who has the ability to utterly destroy you, and yet chooses not to...even to their own detriment. Jesus had some pretty good things to say about meek people in God's Word. I'd say a man who shows up peacefully with an AR-15 at a tea party or political protest rally is practicing meekness.

I've said this recently... and it's worth repeating. The only reason they keep sucking perfectly good air and continue to live is because we permit it. Because we hold to a higher purpose and see value in self sacrifice and serving others, we begrudgingly suffer them to live.

They should remember these things and be grateful. Because if we decide to discard our values and go on an organized offensive against them, we will terrorize them in ways too indecent to describe here. If I were them, I would at least remove the Obama bumper sticker from the cutsie hybrid car.

We're not there yet. But eventually people are going to have to ask if things like bumper stickers are worth dying for.

[Eaker]

Saaaa - LUTE!

[hiredhand]

Back atcha buddy! :-)

[glock rocks]

HUA

[Allegra]

Wow, Eaker got honorable mention over there! Way to go Eak! :-)

We're all very proud of him. :)

[an amused spectator]

The temp Field Operation Supervisors had them for phase 1 of this decennial.

[uncitizen]

Something stinks about this story. Can’t put my finger on it but i just hope we don’t see more of these hangings that can’t be proved as suicides or homocides.

[an amused spectator]

"Sparkman was one of 5,900 census field workers who conduct the annual American Community Survey and dozens of other government surveys each year"

He was probably ACS. I was figuring that what he was. I've talked to a few ACS people this year, and the word is they have laptops.

[jaxon72]

Most likely a meth lab.

[Friend_from_the_Frozen_North]

I don't believe they are "full of beans" for one simple reason; 9 years ago, the Census Takers asked me "Where do you work?" and "How much do you earn?". These questions are NONE of ANYONE ELSE'S BUSINESS (especially the Government's)!!!

[Squantos]

UPDATE.........

IG CREEK, Ky. ?  A family’s visit to a rural Kentucky cemetery led to the shocking discovery of a census worker’s naked body hanging from a tree with the word “fed” scrawled on his chest. Jerry Weaver of Fairfield, Ohio, told The Associated Press the man had been gagged and his hands and feet were bound with duct tape. Weaver said Friday he was certain from the gruesome scene that 51-year-old Bill Sparkman was killed deliberately. “He was murdered,” Weaver said. “There’s no doubt.” Weaver said he was in rural Clay County, Ky., for a family reunion and was visiting some family graves at the cemetery on Sept. 12 along with his wife and daughter when they saw the body. “The only thing he had on was a pair of socks,” Weaver said. “And they had duct-taped his hands, his wrists. He had duct tape over his eyes, and they gagged him with a red rag or something.” Two people briefed on the investigation said various details of Weaver’s account matched the details of the crime scene, though both people said they were not informed who found the body. The two spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the case. Authorities have said a preliminary cause of death was asphyxiation, pending a full medical examination. According to a Kentucky State Police statement, the body was hanging from a tree with a rope around the neck, yet it was in contact with the ground. “And they even had duct tape around his neck,” Weaver said. “And they had like his identification tag on his neck. They had it duct-taped to the side of his neck, on the right side, almost on his right shoulder.” Both of the people briefed on the investigation confirmed that Sparkman’s Census Bureau ID was found taped to his head and shoulder area. Weaver said he couldn’t tell if the tag was a Census ID because he didn’t get close enough to read it. He could see writing on Sparkman’s chest, and could read that it said “fed.” Authorities have said the word was scrawled with a felt-tip pen. Weaver, who works for a family topsoil business in Fairfield, said the body was about 50 yards from a 2003 Chevrolet S-10 pickup truck. He said Sparkman’s clothes were in the bed of the truck. “His tailgate was down,” Weaver said. “I thought he could have been killed somewhere else and brought there and hanged up for display, or they actually could have killed him right there. It was a bad, bad scene. “It took me three or four good nights to sleep. My 20-year-old daughter ended up sleeping in the floor in our bedroom,” he said. Sparkman, a Boy Scout leader and substitute teacher, was supplementing his income as a part-time census field worker. Authorities have refused to say if Sparkman was at work going to door-to-door for census surveys before he died. After Sparkman’s body was found, the Census Bureau suspended door-to-door interviews in Clay County until the investigation is complete. Clay County Sheriff Kevin Johnson declined to comment on the investigation because the department is only playing a supporting role but said patrols have increased in the Daniel Boone National Forest since the body was found. State Trooper Don Trosper said it was clear this wasn’t a natural death but said all other possibilities were being considered. “We are not able to rule out many scenarios at this time, and that’s what makes this a difficult case,” he said. Although anti-government sentiment was one possibility in the death, some in law enforcement also cited the prevalence of drug activity in the area ? including meth labs and marijuana fields ? although they had no reason to believe there was a link to Sparkman’s death

[Allegra]

That's pretty sick. And sad.

Prayers up for that poor guy's family.

[Eaker]

Need to round up all the meth heads at DU (a lot I know) and start asking questions.

[Eaker]

Update from Squantos.