The Kentucky census worker found hanging from a tree with the word “fed” scrawled on his chest staged his death to look like a homicide so that his son could collect his life insurance, the authorities said Tuesday.
“We believe this was an intentional act,” said Trooper Don Trosper, a Kentucky State Police spokesman. “We believe the aim was to take his own life.”
The naked body of the census worker, Bill Sparkman, was found Sept. 12 hanging from a tree near a cemetery in the Daniel Boone National Forest in southeastern Kentucky.
Image Bill Sparkman's death had raised concern that he was killed because of his work. Credit... The Times-Tribune, via Associated Press
One of the witnesses who found the body said Mr. Sparkman, 51, was bound with duct tape, gagged and had an identification badge taped to his neck. A rope was tied around his neck, attached to a tree, and the word “fed” was on his chest, the police said.
Kentucky State Police said yesterday that the September 12 death of census worker Bill Sparkman was suicide.  His body was found naked in a Clay County, Kentucky cemetery, with "Fed" written on his chest and his census identification taped to his neck.  This prompted widespread speculation that anti-government sentiment was responsible.  However, police now believe that Sparkman deliberately killed himself, and tried to make it look like murder so his son could receive an insurance payout.  Trooper Don Trosper, a Kentucky State Police spokesman, said, "we believe this was an intentional act. We believe the aim was to take his own life."

This conclusion is based on the police's analysis of several elements of the crime scene; Sparkman was not hanged in the typical manner; his knees were less than six inches off the ground, and he could have avoided death simply by standing up before he suffocated. Captain Lisa Rudzinski, a leader of the investigation stated, "We do not believe he was placed in that position."  The letters of the word "Fed" were written bottom first, which is unlikely if they had been written by an attacker.  The rag found in his mouth contained only Sparkman's DNA.  Police also believed he left glasses taped to his head so he could see while preparing.

Police suspect Sparkman's motives included debt, failure to find a full-time job, and a desire to provide for his son through his life insurance.


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