| Bill Sparkman | |
|---|---|
Sparkman graduating from Western Governors University |
|
| Born | August 12, 1958 Mulberry, Florida[1] |
| Died | September 12, 2009[2] Clay County, Kentucky |
| Nationality | American |
| Known for | United States Census worker discovered dead under initially mysterious circumstances. |
William Edwin "Bill" Sparkman, Jr.[3] (c. 1958 – September 12, 2009)[2][4][5] was an American schoolteacher and Field Representative for the United States Census Bureau found dead in September 2009 under suspicious circumstances. After more than two months of investigation the official police pronouncement was that his death was a suicide, staged by him to look like a homicide, so that his family could collect life insurance.
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Sparkman was raised in Mulberry, Florida, and was the oldest of three sons to a high school principal and a furniture company executive.[1] Sparkman was an altar boy as a child. In high school he wrote for the local weekly newspaper, The Mulberry Press, and was the football team manager.[6] An Eagle Scout, he worked for the Boy Scouts of America as an adult, overseeing the programs in Polk and Hillsborough counties.[1] This work later took him to Atlanta, Georgia,[1] then London, Kentucky in 1993.[7]
Once in Kentucky he raised his adopted son alone, joined a local Methodist Church, and for nine years worked at an elementary school as a volunteer and instructional assistant. In 2005 Sparkman began part-time work with the United States Census Bureau and studied education with Western Governors University, an online college. In 2007, after medical treatment of an ingrown toe nail, Sparkman's doctor identified a cyst which led to his diagnosis of Stage-3 non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. He continued teaching while receiving chemotherapy treatments from November 2007 to March 2008, during which time he completed his academic coursework and was invited to speak at the commencement ceremony at Western Governors University in Salt Lake City, Utah.[7] After graduation he pursued a position as a middle school math teacher.[6][7]
Sparkman's body was discovered on September 12, 2009[8] by people during a family reunion paying a visit to Hoskins Cemetery[9] in rural Clay County, Kentucky, within the Daniel Boone National Forest.[10] He had been reported missing from work three days earlier while working on the American Community Survey for the U.S. Census,[5] for which he worked in a five county area.[11] Sparkman was reportedly found with a rope around his neck, tied to a tree while in contact with the ground, nude but for socks on his feet, with the word "fed" written on his chest [8] in felt-tip marker,[12] (which was variously reported in the media to have either been written upside-down[2] or from an upside-down point of view[13] and therefore assumedly by Sparkman himself, the police were later revealed to have concluded) , his census ID taped to the side of his neck,[14] gagged, with duct tape around his hands and feet[8] and over his mouth[5] and eyes.[15] Kentucky State Police criticized many media reports of the death as speculation, such as printing that he was hanging from a tree when he was actually tied to a tree with a rope around his neck.[16]
Authorities eventually determined that Sparkman's death was a suicide, staged to look like a homicide.[17] Initially, police determined that Sparkman's death was not natural, but hadn't ruled whether it was a homicide, a suicide, or an accident.[18] After over two weeks of cautious investigation by the Kentucky State Police,[16] Sparkman's 19-year-old son, Josh Sparkman, expressed frustration and called it "disrespectful" that suicide or accident were still being considered.[12] In the ensuing days, Josh further stated to the news-media his certainty that this was a homicide, noting that his father's truck had been "ransacked" and items stolen, such as Sparkman's census laptop and a family wedding ring, items not discovered by investigators.[19]
Preliminary findings of the local coroner asserted Sparkman died from asphyxiation,[5] and the Census Bureau's regional office in Charlotte, North Carolina said law enforcement called it "an apparent homicide."[20] On October 6, Sparkman's body was released to his family, but the State Medical Examiner's Office stated it was not resolving the case. It had only established the cause of death, not the manner of death, and it was still learning "bits and pieces of information".[19] The Kentucky State Police agreed the case was "perplexing".[21] The Los Angeles Times reported that "the case so far is notable for the lack of details divulged by law enforcement officials".[10] In late October, officials reported the case was close to resolution and they were careful in "not rushing a decision".[15]
John Berry, director of the Office of Personnel Management, stated his resolve to "come down on these perpetrators as hell hath no fury."[21]
On November 23, investigators declared the death a suicide. According to reports, Sparkman, who had previously battled non-Hodgkins lymphoma, is suspected to have believed that his cancer had returned, and just prior to his death had taken out life insurance policies for $600,000[22] which would have been paid to his financially struggling son in the event of death and which would not pay out for suicide or death from cancer.[23]
One co-worker has speculated that Sparkman's naivete combined with his being a federal employee may have contributed to his death.[4] According to FBI investigators, it is a federal crime if Sparkman was killed because of his job representing the federal government,[10] though killings of census workers are "very, very infrequent."[21]
Regional Director Wayne Hatcher of the Census Bureau's Charlotte regional office, which has jurisdiction over a five-state area that includes Kentucky,[24] held a small memorial service at the cemetery in Clay County on October 11. He said other employees have reacted to the death by requesting to work in teams during census gathering.[25] While law enforcement conducted its investigation of the death, the United States Census Bureau suspended its work in Clay County.[5]
Because of Sparkman's status as a Federal Census Bureau worker and the word "fed" written on his corpse, this incident drew national attention. On MSNBC's The Rachel Maddow Show, Maddow speculated that a dislike among area residents of the U.S. Federal Government may have contributed to Sparkman's death.[26] Some scholars disagree, saying there isn't "an outpouring of anti-government sentiment in the region", and that "distrust of government" in the area is comparable to the rest of the country.[20] However, another Associated Press report stated it "has a reputation for mistrusting government, dating back to the days of moonshiners and 'revenuers'",[27] and that it is a top marijuana producer[10] where federal agents have held drug and corruption raids numerous times. Among those convicted for drug and corruption charges are a former mayor, former city councilmen, an assistant police chief, a county clerk, a magistrate, and an election commissioner, and the county's school superintendent and circuit court judge were indicted for voter fraud in March 2009.[5] The Christian Science Monitor also reported on possible connections to nearby drug activities and anti-government motives.[21] Clay County is one of the poorest counties in the United States and residents fear this incident will add to its negative stereotype, despite its progress in education and efforts against crime.[27]
Some suggested Sparkman's death may have been related to recent controversies over the upcoming federal census. Earlier in 2009 several leading conservatives and Republican political figures spoke out against ACORN's involvement in census surveys[28] and boycotted over concerns that the census could be used against citizens.[29] Some libertarians faulted the census for contributing to the expanding government and Latino activists were boycotting it to push for immigration reform.[28]
The Los Angeles Times reported that in the absence of public findings by investigators, some writers in the liberal blogosphere concluded that this death was the result of anti-government rhetoric during the Presidency of Barack Obama.[10]
The Kentucky State Police, who conducted the investigation, noted that there had been wide misinformation and speculation from the media coverage of this incident.[16] Robert Stivers, the Republican state senator from Clay County, believes the Sparkman's death has been "sensationalized" because of his status as a Federal Census Bureau worker.[27] In late October, the KSP commander over the case said baseless media speculation "has been a detriment to the investigation" by requiring investigators to examine those claims.[15]
On December 11, an episode of the TV show Law & Order entitled "FED" featured a murder victim based on Sparkman, found shirtless with the word "FED" written on his chest. However, this victim was a conservative campaign employee who was plotting against an ACORN-like organization.[30]
Sparkman's son, Josh, was adamant that his father did not commit suicide.[31] He said a man who fights cancer as long he had does not commit suicide, he showed the fight to live every day.[31]