Posted on 01/26/2002 1:18:16 PM PST by Wolfstar
Police examine note in apparent suicide
By ERIC HANSON and MARY FLOOD
Copyright 2002 Houston Chronicle
SUGAR LAND -- A former Enron executive who resigned last year -- reportedly after complaining about accounting practices that led to the firm's collapse -- was found dead Friday, an apparent suicide.
Police said they expect the autopsy results on John Clifford Baxter, the former Enron Corp. vice chairman, to be released Monday.
SNIP...
...Baxter, 43, was discovered about 2:20 a.m. in the driver's seat of his Mercedes-Benz, parked in the 5800 block of Palm Royale Boulevard.
He had been shot once in the head and a .38-caliber revolver was found inside the locked car, investigators said.
Sugar Land police were examining a suicide note, said [Sugar Land police spokeswoman Pat] Whitty, but she would not disclose its contents or say where it was found.
Sources familiar with Baxter's death said Enron was mentioned in the note.
Baxter's car was being inspected for fingerprints or other evidence this weekend.
SNIP...
His luxury sedan was parked in a cut-through in the median of the tree-lined boulevard, within blocks of the $700,000 home he shared with his wife and two children in Sugar Land's most exclusive neighborhood.
Because the evidence of suicide was considered so strong, Fort Bend County Precinct 4 Justice of the Peace James Richard initially chose not to order an autopsy.
"There just wasn't any evidence of foul play," said Richard, noting that police did not request an autopsy.
However, because of the attention being focused on Baxter's death, he changed his mind just before noon.
"I decided to use an overabundance of caution," Richard said.
SNIP...
He had hired an attorney and knew it was likely he was about to be deposed and questioned by lawyers, federal investigators and maybe even Congress. In addition to questions about his work at Enron, there were questions about his own sale of more than 577,000 shares that garnered him $35.2 million between October 1998 and early 2001.
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Also Friday, ABC News reported that Baxter and 48 other people had received subpoenas this month from the Senate Government Affairs Subcommittee on Permanent Oversight and Investigation.
Baxter was discovered by a Precinct 4 constable's deputy, who saw the Mercedes during routine patrol, said police Sgt. Truman Body [note: his last name is Body]. He said the deputy drove by again about 15 minutes later, saw the mortally wounded Baxter and called for an ambulance.
Police had to smash the right-rear window to get into the car. The car was towed to a private storage lot near Richmond for examination.
SNIP...
When Baxter resigned in May 2001, Enron's news release said it was to spend additional time with his family. It said he still would be an Enron consultant.
By all accounts, he did not take on significant other work. Instead, he stepped up his interest in yachting.
But when the company faltered several months later, Baxter was named in dozens of federal lawsuits, along with other former and current Enron executives who sold stock and took profits while lower-level employees were left with little in stock and retirement plans.
Dennis Onstott, a Gulf Coast marine insurer, knew Baxter from selling him yachts years ago and from his largess with Onstott's favorite charity, the Sunshine Kids, which helps children with cancer.
"He was the nicest, most conscientious man. It's hard to imagine him (committing suicide)," said Onstott.
But Jerry V. Mutchler, president of Junior Achievement of Southeast Texas, where Baxter served on the board, saw a different side.
Baxter's activity with the board was at its peak while he was at Enron, Mutchler said. He even was scheduled to join the board's executive committee until he left Enron.
"I consider him larger than life. He was a very generous man who worked very hard and ran very hard," Mutchler said. "That kind of man can be more sensitive than someone who plodded through life."
He said several others active in Junior Achievement had talked with Baxter recently and found "he wasn't very happy these last few weeks."
"He was depressed and disappointed about all that had happened," Mutchler said. "Who wouldn't be?"
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Experienced ME's (and a Chief ME in a town like Houston WOULD be experienced) are adept at recognizing causes of death.
An autopsy, while helpful, is not necessary to rule on the cause of death.
ME's are keenly aware that a ruling of suicide will disqualify families from collecting life insurance. In Baxter's case, there's no doubt some of these lawsuits will leverage whatever money he left.
So it's unlikely the ME would rule suicide unless it was a pretty solid case.
That, of course, won't keep the tinfoilers from positing that the guy was murdered.
The guy killed himeslf.
Case closed.
I agree. The expression mortally wounded means the same as fatally wounded. It means dead.
My purpose is not to be "a detective," but simply to post the essential facts as reported, then have some fun playing in the FR sandbox.
Autopsies are _expensive_. Not everyone gets one.
I have no personal opinion on it since I don't really have enough facts and I tend to question the media gossips but, I don't think absent all the facts (suicide note, positioning of gun, etc) that I'm willing to put all my faith in a Medical Examiner that I don't know.
Both the Gary Condit staff and the Park Police in DC have some openings.
The point is that there is no way to know anything for sure. It isn't something that needs to be considered definitive one way or the other. It is still possible this was a hit, and nothing needs to be ignored.
Certainly it needs to be investigated and all angles should be considered.
Except that you don't know what other evidence of suicide the ME found.
But, you've got your mind made up, and you'll tailor the facts to fit your theory.
(1) They did not consider an autopsy because it is not required; particularly in what seems to be obvious circumstances; no suspicions aroused. . .until they realized he was in fact, associated with Enron. . .
(2). . .we do not hear of these cases; because they are not high profile situations. . .
Not in this case.
According to FOXNEWS, Baxter was still alive when he was found, but died before EMT's arrived.
If I were investigating, I'd want to know when he left his house and what he told his wife he was doing. Also, there is no description of the suicide note. Was it typed, or hand written? If typed, I'd want to know what computer or printer it came from. But then, I'm the curious type. The JP in this town doesn't seem very curious.
I don't know if he committed suicide or if he was offed because he knew too much, I'm just saying I can understand why he might kill himself.
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