By Mark Memmott

The Kentucky census worker who was found hanging from a tree with the word "fed" written on his chest was not the victim of foul play, authorities announced today.

Instead, they believe 51-year-old Bill Sparkman killed himself and set up the scene so that it would appear he'd been murdered. Sparkman apparently hoped his son would then be able to collect on a life insurance policy.

According to the Associated Press, a news release from Kentucky State Police says investigators believe Sparkman acted alone in setting the scene. They also say he had recently taken out two life insurance policies.

Local news site Kentucky.com quotes state police Capt. Lisa Durzinksi as saying investigators "believe it was an intentional act on his part to take his own life."

Among the clues, Rudzinski cited, according to the website:

Tests indicated that the letters ("fed") were applied from the bottom to the top -- not the way an assailant facing Sparkman would write them. Police concluded that Sparkman wrote on himself, Rudzinski said.

There also were no traces of anyone else's DNA on the rag in Sparkman's mouth and no signs of a struggle.

Finally, Kentucky.com reports, Sparkman's feet were on the ground and he "could have stood up, taken the pressure off his neck and not died."

Sparkman's death in September led to speculation that he might have been killed by someone with a grudge against the federal government. The Census Bureau suspended its field work in Clay County, Ky., where Sparkman was a substitute teacher and part-time census worker.

categories: National News

2:05 - November 24, 2009

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