Hunter S. Thompson’s household and his spouse are add odds over a reinvestigation of his 2005 suicide – as claims fly that she desires full management of the Gonzo journalist’s legacy.
His widow Anita Thompson recommended HST’s son and daughter-in-law — Juan Thompson and Jennifer Winkel — might have tampered with the scene of his dying to make it “appear to be a suicide,” in response to textual content messages she despatched former Pitkin County Sheriff’s Workplace officers in Colorado, the New York Occasions reported.
Anita Thompson — HST’s second spouse, who he married two years earlier than dying at his typewriter of their Aspen residence — claimed Juan’s ex-wife and Jennifer’s son had been confiding with individuals for years a few supposed cover-up scheme, prompting the sheriff’s workplace to re-open the decades-old case in September.
However Juan and his spouse are baffled by Anita’s insistence on a cover-up, particularly because the gun-loving journalist behind “Concern and Loathing in Las Vegas” had been open about his plans to finish his personal life for years.
“I have no idea why she raised this. And I can’t think about that the CBI would discover something to behave on,” Juan, 61, advised the Occasions. “There’s nothing new to learn about Hunter’s precise dying.”
“That is actually stunning,” Jennifer added. “It’s been disruptive to our household. It’s clearly been very traumatic to be revisiting this.”
Hunter — as well-known for his consuming and drugging as he was for his unhinged but bitingly insightful writing — died from a gunshot wound at 67 as his well being was quickly declining from years of substance abuse.
He was on the telephone with Anita when it occurred, and Juan was close by and located his father’s physique alongside a suicide be aware titled “Soccer Season is Over.”
“No Extra Video games. No Extra Bombs. No Extra Strolling. No Extra Enjoyable. No Extra Swimming. 67. That’s 17 years previous 50. 17 greater than I wanted or wished. Boring. I’m all the time bitchy. No Enjoyable — for anyone. 67. You might be getting Grasping. Act your outdated age. Loosen up — This gained’t harm,” the letter learn.
Juan then took considered one of his father’s many weapons and fired three photographs within the air to honor him — with a quick investigation discovering no indicators of foul play.
“The accidents have been according to the reported self-inflicted gunshot wound,” an post-mortem from the following day learn, with the sheriff’s division then ruling “Case standing is Closed/noncriminal.”
However police who have been on the scene of the dying say little investigating was executed, and that everyone was working below the presumption that nothing greater than a suicide was at hand.
“By no means as soon as did I contemplate this a murder. It by no means crossed my thoughts,” mentioned Joe DiSalvo, who was Pitkin County’s undersheriff on the time of HST’s dying and one of many first on the scene.
“I get there, he’s useless on the typewriter,” mentioned DiSalvo, who was additionally a pal of Thompson’s.
“Hunter talked about suicide,” he advised the Occasions. “He talked about the way in which he was going to kill himself.”
It stays unclear if Anita is suggesting somebody murdered Thompson, or whether or not the supposed plot was some type of assisted suicide.
However Anita’s conduct since Thompson’s dying has raised some eyebrows, with some accusing her of making an attempt to money in on her late-husband’s iconic identify and picture.
Among the many schemes individuals level to are her posting his Aspen residence — Owl Farm — on Airbnb for $550 per night time, and plans to promote official “Gonzo strains” of weed.
Nonetheless, others suppose there isn’t any purpose to rule out the claims Anita raised.
“The query of whether or not there was assisted suicide is a legit query,” former Aspen mayor and lawyer Mick Eire advised the Occasions. “I don’t have an opinion on it.”
Juan and Jennifer, nevertheless, suppose Anita is aware of her husband actually killed himself.
“We hope this brings her closure,” Jennifer mentioned.
