Lt. Joe Gliniewicz of Fox Lake Illinois

[Canderis]

Back in September, a cop in a suburb near my home was shot and killed. He was praised a hero. During the subsequent manhunt that followed, no suspects were identified.

Now, the story has had a twist, and it's something straight out of a television cop drama: Death of Fox Lake, Illinois, officer a 'carefully staged suicide' as well as Messages Recovered From Fox Lake Lieutenant's Phone Shed Light on 'Extensive Criminal Activity'.

Now, I'm usually not one for conspiracies, but this just sounds wrong to me. The cop was set to retire in less than a month, and from how long this information took to come out I feel that it is unlikely anyone suspicious of him, at least to the point that suicide was his only way out. Maybe I have just been watching too many television shows as of late, but something here doesn't sit quite right with me.

[Carwil]

Where there's smoke, there's fire, and there's a considerable amount of smoke here. But, the first possibility I would consider is that it's always possible that the media is hyping up the story up for ratings. For the mainstream media, "extensive criminal activity," could mean selling untaxed cigarettes to your friends or J-walking. But, I wouldn't write the whole story off, seeing as not even the media has sunk so low as to begin reporting *complete* B.S. So, a cop a month out from retirement is reported killed, then a carefully planned suicide with evidence of criminal activity cropping up...from an armchair detective's perspective, could it be possible that his blunder could've created bad PR for the department, leading to a suicide under duress that then served to create positive PR by painting the guy as a martyr killed in the line of duty?

[Carwil]

Dug up some additional information on this story last night. Apparently, the "criminal activity" the headline alluded to was him embezzling massive amounts of money from some youth organization he was involved in leading over the course of years. Story I heard goes that he committed suicide because he knew he was going to take the fall for it. Makes sense, I mean, his reputation would be ruined, his family would receive funny looks in the streets, and his name would forever be mud. I even understand that some family rescinded a donation in the amount of $15,000 to the guy's family after the truth of the matter came to light.

 

But here's the intriguing part: as advanced as forensic science is in this day and age, you *cannot* tell me that the cops failed to peg this fellow as a suicide following their investigation...if one was even launched. You want my two cents, I think they covered up the suicide as an officer killed in the line of duty as a PR stunt.

[Darth Avlectus]

Nah you're not the only one, something about it doesn't smell right. My initial thought was he learned/knew something he shouldn't have, or he wasn't "going with it" and crossed the silent blue line.

 

When there is evidence to the contrary the "official story" is wrong, it really isn't "just a conspiracy theory" anymore. If you can believe it I have friends who'd rather just stick their heads back in the sand because "even if you have evidence, they'll never admit it" and keeping stubbornly consistent is apparently "too obsessive" for them.

 

Now the retirement bit I didn't know about, but it makes me wonder. I was kinda neutral after the revelation of messages between all of them. Then again, you remain unconvinced and you knew something I didn't so I guess I've tipped back into the territory of viewing this as not kosher.

 

Stands to reason: How hard is it to fabricate text messages? How hard is it to throw your weight around with the almighty subpoena and shut up questions from others with the threat of authority?

 

At the least it sounds like he was a fall guy if the officer wasn't innocent. Otherwise, this stinks to high heavens.

[Carwil]

Nah you're not the only one, something about it doesn't smell right. My initial thought was he learned/knew something he shouldn't have, or he wasn't "going with it" and crossed the silent blue line.

 

While I'm not sure if his death was deliberate, I'll elaborate more on that later in the post.

 

When there is evidence to the contrary the "official story" is wrong, it really isn't "just a conspiracy theory" anymore. If you can believe it I have friends who'd rather just stick their heads back in the sand because "even if you have evidence, they'll never admit it" and keeping stubbornly consistent is apparently "too obsessive" for them.

 

Regrettably, you're exactly right. It's a sad day in journalism when the National Enquirer can honestly boast that it's broken stories before the mainstream media got hold of them. The age of conspiracy theories being the stuff of curious volumes you would shove on the bookshelf above your bed is gone. A lot of conspiracy theories aren't even theories anymore. I'm still shocked that so many people acted as if Edward Snowden's 2013 global surveillance disclosures were news. The federal government has been wiretapping unchecked since at least the 1960s, and probably earlier.

 

Now the retirement bit I didn't know about, but it makes me wonder. I was kinda neutral after the revelation of messages between all of them. Then again, you remain unconvinced and you knew something I didn't so I guess I've tipped back into the territory of viewing this as not kosher.

 

I wouldn't say I'm unconvinced; in fact, quite the opposite: I'm completely convinced that there were questionable circumstances surrounding this officer's death. I believe that it was at least a suicide under duress. The question is, what sort of duress? Was it personal, as in the guy's fear that his career, good name, and impending retirement benefits (most police departments offer at least some, although I understand that some have done away with pension plans for officers) were about to be derailed by a criminal investigation, and quite possibly prison time? Or did some outside party have an effect on his actions, perhaps striking some sort of suicide pact with him of the sort the SS offered to Rommel when he was implicated in a plot to kill Hitler?

 

Stands to reason: How hard is it to fabricate text messages? How hard is it to throw your weight around with the almighty subpoena and shut up questions from others with the threat of authority?

 

Imagine what kind of dirt the department has on any potential whistleblowers that's keeping the truth suppressed, as well. But you make a good point.

 

At the least it sounds like he was a fall guy if the officer wasn't innocent. Otherwise, this stinks to high heavens.

 

Sadly, I'd bet money that this little shenanigan will disappear from the media radar before the truth is uncovered.

 

By the way, great to see you return after several weeks of inactivity, Avlectus!