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Police say Hatfield committed suicide
AUSTIN – A George W. Bush biographer whose criminal past caused his book to be recalled committed suicide, police said, just as he was about to be arrested on new criminal charges.
A housekeeper found James Howard Hatfield, 43, dead of a prescription drug overdose Wednesday, in a Springdale, Ark., motel room, police said.
A day earlier, detectives in nearby Bentonville, Ark., had seized Mr. Hatfield's home computer and arranged for him to surrender that evening on charges of fraudulently trying to obtain credit cards over the Internet. Instead, Mr. Hatfield – facing a parole revocation and return to Texas prison for a 1987 car bombing – checked into the motel where he died.
In 1999, Mr. Hatfield wrote Fortunate Son, a biography of Mr. Bush that alleged the future president had been arrested on cocaine charges in the 1970s then had gotten the case erased with the help of his father.
Mr. Hatfield offered no proof of that allegation, which Mr. Bush denied. After The Dallas Morning News reported details of Mr. Hatfield's criminal past – which he initially disputed when confronted by the newspaper and then his publisher – St. Martin's Press ordered a recall of all 70,000 copies.
In 1988, Mr. Hatfield was sentenced to 15 years in prison for paying a hit man $5,000 to blow up his former boss's car in downtown Dallas. Mr. Hatfield pleaded guilty in 1992 to charges related to the theft of more than $34,000 in federal housing funds. He served five years in state prison and a brief period in a federal penitentiary before moving to Arkansas on parole in 1994.
Springdale police Detective Al Barrios said Friday that there is no evidence that any one else was involved in Mr. Hatfield's death: A suicide note indicated he did not want to put his family through the embarrassment and expense of criminal proceedings.
In the note, Mr. Hatfield wrote of his financial straits since October 1999 – the month his book was scrapped – and expressed hope that the biography would yet provide income for his wife and infant daughter.
He cited other factors, including a possible reference – by initials – to Fortunate Son: "Blame it on FS, the depression, the alcohol abuse ... "
Bentonville, Ark., police records show that when he died, Mr. Hatfield was suspected of having used the Internet to seek credit in the name of a former fellow inmate, George T. Burt, who co-authored with Mr. Hatfield a series of TV trivia books.
Mr. Burt of Plano who had served time for the near-fatal shooting of girlfriend near Houston, complained to police after learning of the credit applications.
For education and discussion purposes only.
Oh, and the conservative conspiratorial types are included in the "dipwad" category.
It was mentioned by someone that when he was in NY promoting his book with St Martin Press that he was breaking parole in that he had not gotten clearance to make the trip.
fyi
Do you think this will happen to Carville someday?
The dipwads are spewing their poison thick and fast over in Usenet. Here comes the antidote.
Thanks for the info. Now back to Condit.
Sergeant Preston: Well, King, this case is closed!
How sweet it is.
Any pictures?
"Oh, and the conservative conspiratorial types are included in the "dipwad" category."
Your disposition is just a Ray of Sunshine in our lives. :-)
You reap what you sow.
The guy killed himself on the anniversery of Vince Foster's death. I wonder if he planned it that way? Funny how he was from Arkansa where Clinton is from. This guy sounds like he had some real problems.
Your disposition is just a Ray of Sunshine in our lives. :-)
Go back and read the threads from yesterday.
Newbies and disrupters (and some tinfoilers) were in a frenzy over this guy's death.
Turns out he's just a common criminal, about to be arrested, AGAIN, for ANOTHER criminal act.
At least he had the courtesy to save the taxpayers some dough.
Thanks for the heads up!
Ah, c'mon, Sink. Why take all of the fun out of life for the Bush-haters?
I still think the term they came up with is hilarious ... BUSHWHACKED!
[......The guy killed himself on the anniversery of Vince Foster's death. .......]
His body was found on the 18th about noon time according to the articles. I think he was from the DFW metroplex but moved to AK after receiving parole in 1994.
A day earlier, detectives in nearby Bentonville, Ark., had seized Mr. Hatfield's home computer and arranged for him to surrender that evening on charges of fraudulently trying to obtain credit cards over the Internet.
As a drug addict, he might have needed money fast. But, with his book just out in paperback, I wonder why he didn't have royalty money.
with his book just out in paperback, I wonder why he didn't have royalty money.
Not a writer, are you, Ari? Look, even if the book was popular among people who actually buy books (as opposed to the Goron steal-this-book crowd), writers' royalties are infinitesimal... and slow in coming. I have a buddy who has two perennially popular non fiction books out. They appeal to a narrow audience but sell steadily into that audience. If he has a $1k year he's happy. (Obviously he holds another job).
d.o.l.
Criminal Number 18F
Trying to include the fellow in some body count is ridiculous. The contrast between this fellow and some of the unfortunates in the Clinton body count is that in the latter case, the deceased either had some direct involvement with Clinton's shady maneuvers or were well 'in the know' to do a lot of damage if they decided to sing.
Maybe FS stands for "Foster Suicide" rather than "Fortunate Son" like the officials want us to believe!
LOL
"But, with his book just out in paperback, I wonder why he didn't have royalty money."
Hatfield's eventual publisher, Soft Skull Press, would not be in the business of paying large royalties. Or paying them promptly.
Whatever advance Hatfield weaseled out of his first publisher, St. Martin's Press, is probably the only money he saw from the book. That money, whatever the amount, is probably long gone by now.
I would still be interested in knowing just who was responsible for promoting Hatfield to St. Martin's, in the first place...
Good riddence to bad rubbish.
Tin Foil blocks in both directions. It never lets in the truth either.
[.....I would still be interested in knowing just who was responsible for promoting Hatfield to St. Martin's, in the first place... ]
Interesting question or I'd like to know who backed or gave him the idea to begin with.... From a Brill Content article....
As I recall, Hatfield also acquired a new literary agent for his pitch to St. Martin's. A rather high-powered one for so small a fry as he.
And that she had connections with/representation for the likes of Carville, Begala and other Clinton scum. Further, that said agent vanished from her job with the agency at about the same time the phit hit the shan at St. Martin's.
Somebody was pulling strings, to get Hatfield the commission and, probably, to drop the coke bomb in his last-minute addenda (which, in retrospect, was really the whole purpose of the book, from the get-go).
If anybody is guilty of disposing of the useless husk that was Hatfield, it would be that particular party, I'd wager...
Was he a member of the Larry Flynt fan club?
I just can't manage to squeeze out a tear for a dubious character like that.
"Good riddance, Hatfield, and I hope you're used to DRY heat!"
Thanks for the flag, de. I think we should alert the good Inspector what has happened to Jimmy Hatfield.
;^)
I would still be interested in knowing just who was responsible for promoting Hatfield to St. Martin's, in the first place...
That would be interesting to know. You're right.
St. Martin's has taken a big hit to its reputation from this episode, one of the worst examples of editorial bad judgment in memory.
He may be a criminal and everything else, but aren't those the types who hang out with coke users? Stories about Clinton's coke use and parties with low-lifes are legion. I think the official reaction to the charges from the police are suspicious. One report said the police "can't recall" the Bush cocaine incident. That is usually a cop out answer (pun?)to avoid any future trouble should any further evidence materialize.It is certainly believable that elder Bush had the juice to clean up such an embarrasing arrest if it happened. In short, just because this guy seems to be on the wrong side of the tracks, it doesn't mean the allegations aren't true.All it means is Bush defenders get to throw up a big smoke-screen over the allegations.
In short, just because this guy seems to be on the wrong side of the tracks, it doesn't mean the allegations aren't true.
Besides being from the wrong side of the tracks, Hatfield undertook to PROVE that George W. Bush used cocaine.
He didn't.
The allegations are not proven, thus are not true.
Howdy Spink.
It should always dog the publishers of this fraudulent book and Hillary's non-book that they are embarrassing. St. Martin's should be forever tarnished by this association. Their LUST to publish an anti-Bush book eliminated all standards of decency.
Hatfield was not "critical" of Bush. Hatfield LIBELED Bush.
IT IS A GOOD DAY
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