UPDATE: The official conclusion:
It is the conclusion of the Kentucky State Police, the FBI, the U.S. Forest Service, the State Medical Examiner’s Office, and the Clay County Coroner’s Office that Mr. Sparkman died in an intentional, self-inflicted act that was staged to appear as a homicide.
PREVIOUSLY: Morgan Bowling of the Manchester (Ky.) Enterprise just forwarded me this e-mail from the Kenctucky State Police:
KSP MEDIA ADVISORY
Kentucky State Police To Hold News Conference Regarding Death Investigation Of Census Worker
Advisory for: Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2009WHAT: Kentucky State Police News Conference
WHEN: Tuesday, Nov. 24, 2:00 pm EST WHERE: KSP Central Forensic Laboratory, 100 Sower Blvd., Frankfort, Ky.
WHO: KSP Capt. Lisa Rudzinski, commander of KSP Post 11 in London, Lt. David Jude, commander of the KSP Media Relations Branch and representatives of the FBI and the state Medical Examiner’s Office.
WHY: Announcement of official results of death investigation of census worker Bill Sparkman in Clay County.
Despite early assertions that “anti-government sentiment” was implicated in Sparkman’s death, it is widely believed that KSP will announce that Sparkman committed suicide, staging the scene to look like a murder, perhaps in an insurance-fraud attempt.
I traveled to Kentucky to report on this crime for the American Spectator.