Posted on 02/14/2005 12:42:44 PM PST by Calpernia
NEWARK, N.J. -- A man arriving from Portugal apparently committed suicide in a janitor's closet at Newark Liberty International Airport.
Authorities said the 39-year-old Maryland man was found by a cleaner Sunday afternoon. The man's name was being withheld while authorities tried to reach relatives.
The man apparently hanged himself between his walk from the plane and the customs checkpoint to re-enter the United States.
Authorities said the man, a U.S. citizen, was scheduled to make a connecting flight to Washington, D.C.
The Essex County Medical Examiner's Office planned to perform an autopsy.
You've obviously never been in law enforcement.
That was my thought. If he was planning on killing himself, why proceed with this trip? He was on his way someplace....I find it suspicious.
You are correct in thinking that.
I'm guilty too. I always make jokes.
Meet my Bearded Dragon, Bock.
"...between his walk from the plane and the customs checkpoint to re-enter the United States"
I do feel for the family and friends of the individual.
It is interesting, however, because apparently it happened prior to going through customs, unless I'm interpreting this sentence incorrectly.
Bock's cute. I meant to post that response to you - not sure how I posted it to myself...
FR in no way compares to Yahoo Message Boards. There is a far cry of a difference in taking the opportunity of making jokes about this being a 'terminal' than what is posted at Yahoo. There hateful people would celebrate his death and make horrible remarks the victim personally.
Sad news.
Moreover, I wonder if authorities released too much info initially.
How many 39 year old male U.S. citizens from Maryland came back from Portugal today via Newark? Not very many, I would guess. Ten or twelve, maybe fewer?
I hate to think that any relatives find out through the news before authorities can contact them.
Maybe the authorities should have initially withheld the age, the country he was coming from (could have said "coming from Europe," instead of Portugal) or his state of residence UNTIL they notified next of kin.
You might get admonished and make somebody deeply, deeply saddened.
(barf)
Since your name is iguana....I was being a tease about ignoring your rhetorical ;)
Yes, it is possible that he just wanted to kill himself and took this opportunity.
But, normally, when someone is planning an event, they normally complete it. One of those, "not leaving unfinished business' types of scenarios. Or, if he was in the middle of a trip, that doesn't lend the M.O. that he was depressed and planning on killing himself.
I wouldn't be as quick to label this a suicide.
They were quick to label Geetha Angara, the chemist in NJ that was found dead at the bottom of a water tank a few days ago. Now they have evidence that is was a homicide.
Now that is a thought too. That would explain the sudden trip interruption. They should be easy to determine.
After my last trip to Europe on Lufthansa, I can understand how the airport personnel could drive someone to suicide.
Very odd...I'd like to see followup articles regarding this incident.
is anyone else concerned that it was so easy to walk off a flight from Portugal and into a backroom service area of the Airport without being noticed?
I will bump that.
I didn't even think of that. That is interesting.
I've been through Immigration/Customs in a number of US airports and the route has always been designed to prevent anyone from exiting early or hiding somewhere. For someone bent on suicide to find a conveniently open janitor's closet in this area seems to be more in the realm of Arkancide than reality.
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