Merrill Apparently Shot Himself On the Bay

Washington Post ^ | 6-21-06 | Eric Rich

[Renfield]

Philip Merrill, the prominent publisher and former diplomat whose body was found floating in the Chesapeake Bay on Monday, suffered from a heart condition and apparently took his own life, his family said last night.

Merrill, 72, was found with a shotgun wound to the head and a small anchor tied around one or both ankles, according to a source familiar with the investigation.

~~~~snip~~~~

In 1996, former CIA director William E. Colby died from drowning and exposure after falling from a canoe off Charles County.

~~~~snip~~~~~

In 1978, another former high-level CIA employee, John A. Paisley, disappeared while sailing across the Chesapeake Bay. His body was found a week later near Solomons Island with a fatal gunshot wound in an apparent suicide.

[Roccus]

So YOU had better behave! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~` At 60+, I have little choice in the matter. }:^)

[prairiebreeze]

The anchor part makes sense if he was concerned he might not get the job done with the shotgun. The anchor would take care of a near miss.

[carmenbmw]

Uuuggghhh....
*Alert for those having breakfast*
DO NOT READ!

Ok, yeah, same sort of thing. My kittie Pottie was caught in a (illegal) beaver trap for 24 hours. The trapper apparently freaked out and let her loose.
She was not supposed to make it, but here she is, 10 years later.
That 1st view of her when she came home was enough to convince me that cookies, pie, and cake was enough to live on, lol

[carmenbmw]

Heck, you are a young person! Dont sell yourself short!

[mt tom]

to bad the TV show murder she wrote is no longer on old Jessica Fletcher could have figured it out before the last commerical

[OmahaFields]

Interesting that one could get to 72 years of age and finally decide "I can't take it anymore." One would think that proclivity would have been acted out many years ago. Perhaps we can conclude he was very indecisive..??..

Why? When one has essentially lived their life, raised their family and is facing old age, sickness and misery, they may reach that decision. My father did when facing his third series of cancer operations and chemotherapy. We all supported him.

And no, he was NOT very indecisive. He was VERY decisive. Please reconsider your thoughtless post.

[Auntie Mame]

Those heart medications affect people differently and side effects are often serious depression.

So sad.

[Auntie Mame]

Ditter, I hate to tell you this, but Paxil is not a blood thinning medication.

[carmenbmw]

I dont think that anyone means to be insulting here. Your perspective is different from others, and there is nothing wrong with that.
I just lost my uncle, who I dearly loved, to heart disease.
The fact that I am a CCU RN made it that much more difficult for me.
Please keep in mind that we deal with events as they are handed to us.

[Nothometoday]

Good reply.
It is fairly well known that heart meds can lead to bouts of depression. Never mind the fact he may of been in constant fear of the " big one" coming.
Cases of suicide in the elderly are pretty common, Too much medication is an easy way out, and autopsies are seldom performed on someone who is old enough to die of " natural causes".
That said, in this case, I have heard of medications coming with warning labels, But not with anchors as a free gift.

[brytlea]

Oh, cookies pie and cake! Poor kitty. Life is dangerous out there for cats. Of course, we lived in E. TX where many outside cats ended up coyote food. Poor things.
susie

[OmahaFields]

I dont think that anyone means to be insulting here.

Insulting; perhaps not. But there are a lot of thoughtless posts on this thread.

[johnny7]

(My cats name is Mean. He earned it.)

I had a black cat... Luther... who had to be one of the meanest, downright unfriendly cats ever to walk the planet. He detested affection of any sort... strode the manor as if God had appointed him 'King of the Cats'.

One night we had a couple over for dinner and they wanted to check out a new computer & workstation I purchased. As we stood around it in my office... Luther, walks in... stops... sizes up the guys wife and lunges for her ankle!

Didn't really surprise me... being that the woman was somewhat... mousey.

[Ditter]

What is it for?

[OmahaFields]

Too much medication is an easy way out, and autopsies are seldom performed on someone who is old enough to die of " natural causes".

"Assisted" suicide in a lot more common than most realize. Of course, the questions and requests have to be very carefully worded ...

[hosepipe]

The Vince Foster Syndrome..

[DCPatriot]

Sounds like Chesapeake Bay may have as many bodies as Marine Park in Brooklyn.

Yeah...another reason for you to make sure you remove all that "yellow mustard" and "the devil" before consuming.

And...say goodbye to soft shelled crabs.

[Ditter]

Oh yeah, he takes Plavix for blood thinning. Paxil is something I see advertised on TV.

[carmenbmw]

Thoughtless? Perhaps. Uninformed? More likely.
I truly think that a person has trouble analyzing a situation, especially when it involves emotions (such as the illness/death of a loved one) until they have been there.
I am NO EXPERT. But I have seen a lot.

[carmenbmw]

Hehe, your Luther sounds just like my 'Mean'!
He has never purred, he hates boxes and blankets and almost any treat you would give him.
He was poisoned, which is why he is inside now.
Luther, I expect, had a good insight on your *visitor*, lol