Posted on 08/15/2008 4:36:41 AM PDT by TornadoAlley3
The former Somali refugee, who was buried Thursday, was described as humble, reclusive and "psychotic."
A Minnesota-based legal advocacy center for Somalis is assembling a troubling, curious background of a man found dead in a Denver luxury hotel Monday near a pound of deadly cyanide.
"He was psychotic; he was on medication," said Omar Jamal, executive director of the Somali Justice Advocacy Center, which has talked to dozens of people who knew Saleman Abdirahman Dirie, a 29-year-old Canadian citizen and former Somali refugee.
Dirie's journey to the U.S. and his stay in an expensive hotel does not fit the profile of his humble, somewhat reclusive life, Jamal said Thursday.
"People who knew him are shocked," Jamal said. "He was unemployed; he had no money. Whoever gave him the money for that hotel may have also given him the
Discussion Discuss: An expert says the amount of cyanide found at a hotel near downtown Denver may have been enough to affect hundreds of people. Tell us your thoughts in West Watch. cyanide. "We need to find that person."
Jamal said Dirie was not particularly religious and was not active in Somali groups as an adult.
Dirie was buried Thursday at Hampden Cemetery after a service at the Colorado Muslim Society's Abu Baker mosque.
Mohamad Altaba of the society said about 150 people attended, including many sympathetic Muslims who traditionally attend funerals for other Muslims. He said he met Dirie's brothers and cousins but wasn't sure how many family members attended.
"The place of burial in the Islamic faith is where the person died," he said. "But we leave that decision to the family, and the family chose to have him buried here."
On Wednesday, authorities confirmed that a pound of granular powder found in Dirie's room at the Burnsley All Suite Hotel is sodium cyanide, a deadly poison that can be legally purchased.
And Thursday, the Denver coroner's office said Dirie died of cyanide poisoning, but the manner of his death has not been determined.
The investigation into Dirie's death is being handled by the Denver Police Department, with help from the FBI.
Authorities have said Dirie's death appears to be an isolated incident unrelated to the upcoming Democratic National Convention.
U.S. Attorney General Michael Mukasey was asked about the case during his visit to Denver on Thursday. He said terrorism has not been ruled out.
"We can't rule it out until the investigation is over," the nation's top prosecutor said.
Jamal denounced news reports that have mentioned Dirie's death in the context of terrorism.
"That perception is out there," he said. "Al-Qaeda is very active in our country, and we cannot deny that some members of our community may be members of that community."
Invoking the context of terrorism causes people who may have information to remain silent in fear of terrorist groups, he said.
Family members in Canada have told Jamal and reporters that Dirie left Ottawa on Aug. 7, first traveling to Montreal in a rental car. There, it appears he took a bus to Denver, Jamal said.
He had told family members he was traveling to Denver for a vacation.
Follow the money bump
Oh, by the way, he's a f'ing Muzzie.
Ya think that might be an important angle to this story, do ya?
Somali's in another state killed a person cause , "they didn't like 'white people'".....
He’s a terrorist, Jim.
(The former Somali refugee, who was buried Thursday, was described as humble, reclusive and “psychotic.”)
In the context of having a pound of cyanide the only adjective that matters is psychotic !
Sounds like alot of people are going to alot of trouble to dispute any terrorist links.
I hope that he didn’t already put some of the cyanide someplace, yet to be discovered and then killed himself.
Too many and too strongly. I am not convinced this has no terrorist links.
jmho
Nobody goes to Denver for vacation. I live here and there is no huge draw for tourists. You go to the mountains (outside of Denver), you go to Aspen, Beaver Creek, Vail...
This guy was up to no good and the FBI and Denver PD can’t admit the obvious without “jeopardizing their investigation”. I’m sure that Dead-Cyanide-Guy had accomplices that law enforcement would like to visit.
I read a report that said NO delegates are scheduled to be at this particular hotel. And anyway, the convention is 2 weeks away .... A rather long time for cyanide to be left lying around.
If he has family in Ottawa why was he buried in Denver?
oops...never mind...read the story first
Wow, that could cause someone to sneeze and choke a lot.
On the other hand, if he put it into some acid to create HCN, he'd sure need a lot more than that little bit he had with him!
But of course, you're an expert on cyanide...right?
Someone paid his way and procured the cynaide for him.
Yeah, because it's not like a Canadian could afford an American vacation, what with the dollar so strong (especially if he planned on one-way only)! And heck, sodium cyanide is SO expensive and hard to acquire...why, it has NO legitimate uses! </sarc>
He has family in Denver, and Muslims are buried whee they die, from what I've read.
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