The Pitkin County sheriff's report states that Hunter S Thompson's body was found in a chair by a kitchen table. The table had a typewriter, with a sheet of paper bearing the word Counselor in the center.
The paper bore the letterhead of the Fourth Amendment Foundation, an organization founded by HST to defend individual privacy rights against the threat of unwarranted search and seizure by the authorities.
Theorizing as to the meaning behind the choice of word ranges from self-description to self-loathing, to general loathing of the profession, a cry for help, or a Rosebud-style Macguffin
The gun used in the suicide was a semiautomatic Smith & Wesson model 645 handgun.
Denver's ABC channel reports that
Juan Thompson found his father dead Feb. 20 from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. After reporting the death of Thompson, the founder of "gonzo" journalism, Juan walked outside the Woody Creek home and fired three shotgun blasts into the air, which several deputies heard as they approached the house."Juan told me he had shot a shotgun into the air to mark the passing of his father," said Pitkin County Deputy Sheriff John Armstrong in his report.
Investigator Joseph DiSalvo allowed Juan Thompson to go into the kitchen alone to drape a golden orange scarf over his father's shoulders, according to Armstrong.
Winkel Thompson, Juan's wife, said the family had purchased the silk scarf in Florence, Italy, and gave it to Hunter Thompson the night before.
Article comments
1 - Justene
If HST wanted to tell us something, he could tell us. He chose to shoot himself, I see no reason to spend time on it. People who opt out are out. We start spending public discourse on this and we will increase the number of HST-inspired suicides.
2 - DrPat
So there we have it - HST's last word: BANG!
3 - Collin Baber
Can anyone confirm to whether the word counselor was framed with question marks on either side, as reported by Canada.com?
If so, I posit that it would be similar to the style used by USAF Col John Boyd, creator of the OODA Loop.
4 - Aaman
I vote for Macguffin
5 - Eric Olsen
perhaps he was starting a letter to his lawyer, then just said fuck it
Of course, all bets are off if it turns out he was an Elder of Zion or a Freemanson
6 - Aaman
Freemanson - are those the guys who want Charles Manson released and crowned king?
He wouldn't align the word dead center of the paper if it were a letter, methinks
7 - Eric Olsen
dead center: exactly
8 - dom
free charles manson and the fucking goverment wants to fuck with our minds and tell us were not alone
9 - DrPat
Perhaps he was starting a riff on The Messiah, and had thrown out the page titled WONDERFUL.
10 - August West
Weave a circle round him thrice,
And close your eyes with holy dread,
For he on honey dew hath fed,
And drank the milk of Paradise.
-Samuel Taylor Coleridge
11 - Johnny
Go to prisonplanet.tv
you should find there some information about hunters death. Some people have come up questioning the official story of "self-inflicted shot" and there are some interesting reports and documents that point out that it could have been for example a government operation to take him out. He was around talking about goverment involvement in the 911 attacks NY. Well go figure, but interesting stuff.
12 - Johnny
Hunter S Thompson
13 - Bob
As soon as I heard that the last thing he typed was the word "Counselor" I thought of Acosta the brown buffalo, his old lawyer and partner in crime. Not that criptic of a last statement from Hunter.