Retired Los Alamos lab deputy director dead from gunshot

Kobtv.com ^ | January 24, 2003

[Sweet_Sunflower29]

A retired Los Alamos National Laboratory deputy director, Richard Burick, has died from what police say is an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Police say Burick, 63, died Thursday in the parking lot of the Pajarito Mountain Ski Area.

Los Alamos Police Chief Richard Melton says Burick had been suffering from prostate cancer.

Burick was deputy director for lab operations when he retired last year.

Melton says Burick co-wrote a book with Los Alamos Fire Chief Doug MacDonald about the Cerro Grande Fire, which burned nearly 43,000 acres in the Jemez Mountains in May 2000.

Melton says the book's proceeds were donated to the victims of the fire.

[hole_n_one]

*ping*

[Alamo-Girl]

Thanks for the heads up! Jeepers...

[andrew1957]

Too sad..glad I wasn't on duty yesterday.

[Walkingfeather]

I am always amazed at how much detail the police give out and know about on " suicides" like this. Remember with Vince foster the reports that came out that very day ... " there was semen on his underwear that was not his" Said a source that did not want to be named...." So how do they get a DNA test back that fast....? I don't know ... seems strange that anyone would comment on a shooting so quickly.

[andrew1957]

Also, that is what my Dad died of 3 years ago.

[Walkingfeather]

I know tin foil alert...

[chnsmok]

Industrial strength tin foil.

[Walkingfeather]

Oh so your out to get me too eh...??? ;)

[PhiKapMom]

You are not the only one with tin foil -- first thing I thought of was Arkancide!

[piasa]

fyi

[chnsmok]

You can never have enough TIN FOIL. A little paranoid? LOL Highlight this post.

[harpseal]

Well lets see now this was a Deputy director of Los Alamos national lab who is dead from other than natural causes. It is alleged he had prostate cancer but the autopsy will either confirm or deny such allegation. They can be reasonably sure of a suicide at this point if the blood splater evidence clearly shows that his body was undisturbed and no one could have been close nough to him to avoid leaving pretty clear traces.

The reason for the suicide is open to question as prostate cancer is one of the most treatable cancers there is. There may be other reasons unstated. He may have left a note or tape recording.

[PhiKapMom]

Isn't it a sad commentary though when that is the first thing that comes to mind?

[lainie]

I've been looking all over for this story. No one else has picked up on it at all.

[evolved_rage]

I wonder if any of those NKs visiting his royal fat-head, Governor-Elect Richardson, can be accounted for.

[Texas_Jarhead]

uh, this guy shot himself in the parking lot of a ski area??

[Lion's Cub]

Thanks for the ping, piasa.

"Cleanup on isle 2004"