Lottery director George Andersen dies day after meeting with auditors

[Thor_MN]

http://www.startribune.com/stories/462/4342373.html

The longtime director of the Minnesota State Lottery died on Tuesday, apparently by suicide, a day after meeting with legislative auditors examining the lottery's operations.

Cmdr. Scott Malinosky of the Washington County sheriff's office said it appeared that George R. Andersen, 53, killed himself, probably with a knife. A note was recovered, but Malinosky would not describe it.

I think I need to look in to some aluminum foil stock, I think demand is going to go up over the next 10 months

[Wickerman]

1. suicide by knife

nothing to see here, move along.

That has been bothering me all afternoon. :tinfoilhat:

[PaDUer]

2. Another suicide..

my, my...all these "unhappy" people who decided to check out early-not! Does anyone know anything about this "suicide"?

[Thor_MN]

3. What bothers me is

the location. If a person is depressed, are they going to go outside into sub-zero temperatures and then find a way to cut yourself? Walking out the door into the cold we had last night is a high energy activity...

On the other hand, they said there was a note (personal to the family) and they have not made any comment yet.

[Wickerman]

5. I'd like to think courtesy

doesn't want to make a mess for the family, but yes, a very high energy method and a bizarre way to off one's self. Not much in the airwaves news today - haven't checked the paper.

[UpInArms]

6. here's a link

from today

http://www.kstp.com/article/view/126490/

excerpt:

Law enforcement officers and the Ramsey County medical examiner's office were investigating the death.

Andersen has been the director of the lottery since it began in April 1990. The position is unique in the amount of independence it allows. Directors can be removed from the job by the governor only in cases of wrongdoing, violating a strict conflict of interest policy or for failing to "perform adequately."

[okieinpain]

14. yeah, but the insurance company does pay suicide

[shanti]

4. oh no

this one fails the sniff test.

[northernsoul]

7. does anybody know where Gov. Timmy was at the time?

He's so excited about killing people, maybe he wanted to get some practice in before his press conference exploiting the families of crime victims to satisfy his own fantasies of being a tough guy by brining back the death penalty.

[Gin]

8. I have "NEVER" heard of suicide by knife....how bizzare...

gin

[ElsewheresDaughter]

9. no more bizzre than being Baxterized by birdshot!

[Gin]

11. what was that one?

gin

[BrotherBuzz]

15. Ratshot

Baxter autopsy points to murder
www.whatreallyhappened.com/baxterautopsy

By Jackson Griffith

Like supermarket tabloids, tinfoil-hat Internet sites offer mucho entertainment value while sometimes delivering information that your more mainstream media outlets might conveniently overlook. All it takes to wade through them is a bullshit detector that’s up to snuff. Consider this site, which poses the idea that perhaps this former Enron vice chairman did not die as the result of an apparent suicide, as most of the media reported; perhaps he exited this mortal coil as a direct result of that old “W” word--he got whacked. You can read the 10-page Harris County autopsy report by clicking on thumbnail JPG files, or read nuggets like this one, which ventures to posit why a “ratshot” gun might make for a ludicrous suicide tool: “In the sort of home Baxter was able to afford to live in, one does not go hunting rats with guns loaded with ratshot; one hires an exterminator.” Indeed. Hours of fun!

http://www.newsreview.com/issues/sacto/2002-03-07/mixsite.asp

[BigDaddyLove]

12. Maybe he was planning on slitting his wrists, but couldn't find....

a razor blade, and instead decided a well sharpened knife would work just as well.

[GCP]

13. That's how the ancient Romans and the Japanese did it

Nothing new.

[Nihil]

10. Damn, Hutton was right!

Page 97:

> Q. Perhaps you can just explain why you do not want to describe these
> matters in detail.
> A. Well,one of the concerns I have is that there is now good evidence
> that reporting and portrayal of detailed methods of suicide in the
> media can actually sometimes facilitate suicide in other people.
> Q. So it is perfectly obvious there are lots of members of the press
> here. If you had to say anything to them about the reporting of your
> evidence today,what would it be?
> A. I think with regard to the specific method of suicide, I would
> prefer that that was kept as general as possible.

Watch out for a rash of copycat "suicides" across the world ...

Nihil