Whaaaaat!
The News of the World scandal is bananas. Every day another bombshell drops. And now this —
the dude who blew the lid off the whole hacking scandal was “found dead” :
Sean Hoare had told the New York Times the practice was far more extensive than the paper acknowledged when police first investigated hacking claims.
Hertfordshire Police said the body of a man was found at a property in Langley Road, Watford, on Monday morning.
A police spokesman said the death was currently being treated as unexplained, but was not thought to be suspicious.
The spokesman said: “At 10.40am today [Monday] police were called to Langley Road, Watford, following the concerns for welfare of a man who lives at an address on the street.
“Upon police and ambulance arrival at a property, the body of a man was found. The man was pronounced dead at the scene shortly after.
“The death is currently being treated as unexplained, but not thought to be suspicious. Police investigations into this incident are ongoing.”
You know what “found dead” means. It means somebody killed his ass.
The Guardian has a story about his coke-snorting, booze-swilling lifestyle:
He knew this very well, because he was himself a victim of the News of the World. As a showbusiness reporter, he had lived what he was happy to call a privileged life. But the reality had ruined his physical health: “I was paid to go out and take drugs with rock stars – get drunk with them, take pills with them, take cocaine with them. It was so competitive. You are going to go beyond the call of duty. You are going to do things that no sane man would do. You’re in a machine.”
While it was happening, he loved it. He came from a working-class background of solid Arsenal supporters, always voted Labour, defined himself specifically as a “clause IV” socialist who still believed in public ownership of the means of production. But, working as a reporter, he suddenly found himself up to his elbows in drugs and delirium.
He rapidly arrived at the Sun’s Bizarre column, then run by Coulson. He recalled: “There was a system on the Sun. We broke good stories. I had a good relationship with Andy. He would let me do what I wanted as long as I brought in a story. The brief was, ‘I don’t give a fuck’.”
He was a born reporter. He could always find stories. And, unlike some of his nastier tabloid colleagues, he did not play the bully with his sources. He was naturally a warm, kind man, who could light up a lamp-post with his talk. From Bizarre, he moved to the Sunday People, under Neil Wallis, and then to the News of the World, where Andy Coulson had become deputy editor. And, persistently, he did as he was told and went out on the road with rock stars, befriending them, bingeing with them, pausing only to file his copy.
He made no secret of his massive ingestion of drugs. He told me how he used to start the day with “a rock star’s breakfast” – a line of cocaine and a Jack Daniels – usually in the company of a journalist who now occupies a senior position at the Sun. He reckoned he was using three grammes of cocaine a day, spending about £1,000 a week. Plus endless alcohol. Looking back, he could see it had done him enormous damage. But at the time, as he recalled, most of his colleagues were doing it, too.
“Everyone got overconfident. We thought we could do coke, go to Brown’s, sit in the Red Room with Paula Yates and Michael Hutchence. Everyone got a bit carried away.”
It must have scared the rest of Fleet Street when he started talking – he had bought, sold and snorted cocaine with some of the most powerful names in tabloid journalism. One retains a senior position on the Daily Mirror. “I last saw him in Little Havana,” he recalled, “at three in the morning, on his hands and knees. He had lost his cocaine wrap. I said to him, ‘This is not really the behaviour we expect of a senior journalist from a great Labour paper.’ He said, ‘Have you got any fucking drugs?'”
Sounds like dude could have given Lindsay Lohan a run for her money.
This is getting velly intellesting, innit? Why does it seem that whistleblowers are always “found dead”? I bet my boob that the cause will be an overdose of some sort. Whistleblowers are always found dead after an overdose, aren’t they?
It’s bananas.
Bananas, I say!
[cross-posted]
SiubhanDuinne
You may very well think so. I couldn’t possibly comment.
The Dangerman
Betting only a single one? Do I hear two? One, going once, going twice…
Violet
No it doesn’t. It means he was found dead. They’re not saying either way, but they are not indicating obvious signs of foul play.
From the article:
They’re looking into it. I hope the family orders an independent autopsy. Scotland Yard seems to be so corrupt, I am not sure they should be trusted to oversee it.
Bnad
Let’s not match TPM in breathless hysteria. A suicide or two (especially among related parties who were already having problems) sometimes happens in these situations.
General Stuck
Being that top cops all over Scotland Yard are falling like a hard rain, I’m sure there is nothing to this and the police will handle it fairly.
Han's Big Snark Solo
Oh come now, until more evidence comes to light we shouldn’t be claiming he was killed. Shades of Vincent Foster, don’t’ya know.
That said, given the media climate, I’m guessing the following headline is forthcoming: “Sean Hoare was found dead of a single bullet wound to the head. Forensics show the bullet was fired from a high power rifle at a distance of between 100 and 200 yards. Police are ruling it a suicide.
evinfuilt
I’m in the pool for accidental death, where he falls on a knife six to seven times. Remember this is England, none of those barbarian gun crimes.
gizmo
This Murdoch thing reaches deep into governments on both sides of the Atlantic. Thus, we can rest assured that it will be swept under the rug in short order.
Shinobi
I predict a movie staring Matt Damon.
nastybrutishntall
Mr Murdoch, in the observatory, with a lead syringe.
eemom
I’ll take Door #2 for $500, Alex.
Sorry the guy is dead, and I agree we need to wait until the facts are in, but I can’t help it: I just find it hilarious that ANYONE — even a British newspaper — can say with a straight face that it’s “not thought to be suspicious.”
Johannes
SiubhanDuinne: Are you suggesting it’s all a House of Cards?
Ash Can
I’m with Violet here — especially given his health history, I think you’re jumping the gun, even though the circumstances look bad. It doesn’t do anyone any good to declare unequivocally that “someone killed his ass” until more information comes out. (In fact, I thought the exclamation point on your headline indicated that you were snarking.)
MattR
Glad to see everyone who decries speculation without facts when it comes to Obama sticking to that principle here.
The Moar You Know
Umm, no. Most assuredly it does not.
Suspicion is more than justified.
So are demands for a completely independent investigation.
But at the moment, you don’t know one fucking thing about how this poor bastard ended up dead. So stop saying that you do.
Violet
@Ash Can:
Yeah, the guy has a history of drug and alcohol problems. Maybe his he had a stroke. Maybe the stress of the last few weeks got to him and his heart gave out. Maybe he OD’d. Maybe he was offed by Murdoch’s minions. Maybe he slipped in the tub while mopping naked. Who knows? We don’t know yet, that’s for sure.
Jamie
So it’s a coke overdose as the cops closed in?
Thoughtcrime
Since Scotland Yard is compromised, they’re assigning the case to this guy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pg5sRDJtqNc&feature=related
Jamie
I’m thinking Colonel mustard with a lead pipe in the library.
arguingwithsignposts
I will not comment on the speculation as to why or how he died. But i will say this scandal now has just about everything. Wow.
Commenting at Balloon Juice since 1937
It was Dick Cheney’s private assassination squad.
boatboy_srq
Actually that’s police-speak for “he died, and we just can’t prove it was homicide.”
In other words, assuming he was offed, he was offed by somebody really, really good. And a really, really good offing takes the kind of $/£/€ that only somebody like Murdoch has.
It’s hardly a clearcut case. But the timing IS awfully convenient.
Jamie
Yup I think we can now call it Murdochgate
MattR
@arguingwithsignposts:
I think all we are missing is somethink sexual.
Lol
Someone should check his voicemail.
John O
He could’ve just died. But it was awfully convenient for a lot of monied powered interests that he did.
Suffern ACE
Sadly, this is in England, so we have to wait for an invited guest to the party, someone not ostensibly connected to the law enforcement profession, to begin the investigation, or it will go nowhere. Perhaps someone can hire Felicity Kendal to do some landscaping at the property.
Martin
You usually don’t rub a guy out while the story is in the news – by then its too late, and everything jumps instantly from coincidence to causation and lots and lots of effort goes into the investigation – particularly when the police are resigning left and right.
I’m guessing he expected to be arrested and either suicided or ODed.
Occams razor.
goblue72
@Commenting at Balloon Juice since 1937:
You mean this guy got shot in the face with buckshot too?
Violet
@Jamie:
I think calling it Murdochgate belittles it. Watergate was the original “gate.” This story is like Watergate in so many ways and seems to involve so many people in high places in various branches of public service, not just the media. And it has the potential to go global. It deserves a new name, one which will be the standard for this type of illegality and cover up for decades to come.
datarat
ABL…this is the kind of breathless, over-the-top, “BREAKING” bullshit that caused me to quit reading GOS blogs. Knock it off…
Martin
Oh, we may still have that here. Are the police looking into recent wetsuit and dildo sales in the area?
Thoughtcrime
And when it gets filled up, start deleting them.
oldswede
Was he still enough of a reporter to keep a file of his notes? If he was known to have this file and it’s gone missing, then what?
oldswede
Jay C
Sorry, ABL: but if I wuz U, I wouldn’t be shopping for any prosthetic bras right away. It’s a bummer about poor old Sean Hoare, no mistake: the guy sounds like he lived his life to the max for his job (and running through an eight-ball a day as part of his “cover” can’t have been TOO onerous: wonder who was picking up that “£1000 a week” habit?); but if anyone is a prime candidate for “drop dead early” it’s a “Fleet Street Journalist”.
The coda from The Guardian’s initial piece:
Jamie
we can go back to Bill Casey’s brain tumor in the 80s for the most convenient death for the powers that be..
Dexter
BTW, Ladbrokes’ odd for Cameron resigning soon: 8/1, down from 16/1 yesterday and 100/1 when the scandal broke.
MPS employed a NOtW reporter as an interpreter from 1980-2000 while still being employed at NOtW. ACP John Yates apprantly helped the daughter of the former News of the World deputy editor Neil Wallis get a job in the Metropolitan police; also too!!
John O
If he was 50 years old and eligible for disability, his odds of dying would be about 5 in a 1000.
(I used to be in the mortality business.)
Han's Big Snark Solo
@arguingwithsignposts:
It does? Then I must have missed something over the weekend; last I heard the scandal lacked much in the way of salacious, naughty, extra-marital sex.
Now, when it comes out that Rupert Murdoch made those few employees who refused to hack phones either have relations with him or find a new job, then the scandal will have just about everything.
PS – Here’s hoping the sex angle is something that will throw the wingnuts into spasms of cognitive dissonance.
joes527
OK, could someone point me to the photoshop analysis that proves (PROVES!) that Murdoch did it in the conservatory with the lead pipe?
Because I have a sandbox are ready to recreate the murder scene.
MattR
@Han’s Big Snark Solo:
Rupert Murdoch having sex with a box turtle?
Villago Delenda Est
Next, we’ll be told that he “committed suicide” by shooting himself 56 times in the back with an Uzi.
Yeah. Right.
John O
Martin, you make a good point, and I agree except for the timing of it all.
Offing the whistleblower early before he has a chance to get it in the “official” record is just good politics! :-)
Dexter
You mean John Cornyn?
ROSSINDETROIT
Wrong timing for a revenge killing or preventative action. The cat’s out of the bag already. The scandal’s on the front pages, which guarantees scrutiny. If this was a murder, it’s either to bottle up something that’s not yet revealed, or by someone reckless and stupid, over what he’d already spilled.
gpleigh
If something is unexplained, how do you also say that it’s not suspicious? There is no explanation.
Tom Q
Some of us over the weekend were comparing this to Watergate, but I recall one thing people always said about that scandal — that no one died in it. (Unless you counted the plane crash in which, I believe, Mrs. Hunt died)
I’m with some, that suicide is certainly a possibility; natural causes due to stress is also not beyond imagining, though awfully convenient.
But it will be a bit rich to hear all those people who hounded the Vince Foster story ask us not to rush to judgment here. This event certainly has a foul odor about it.
pragmatism
that’ll happen over in jolly ol’ engerland. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Kelly_%28weapons_expert%29
wrb
I prefer to off whistle blowers after the story has broken. Then people think no one would take such a risk. Hasn’t failed me yet.
Martin
I don’t think Murdoch is McConnells type.
Violet
As for the sex angle, is there any truth to the speculation that Rebekah Brooks was Rupert’s lover? He called her “the daughter I never had” yet he had several daughters. Why was he so devoted to her?
Cain
@ROSSINDETROIT:
Possibly, he won’t be able to testify?
MattR
@gpleigh:
If a relatively healthy 75-80 year old were to die one day at home alone, the cause of death would be unexplained until they did an autopsy, but I don’t think anyone would consider it suspicious. Curious perhaps, but not suspicious.
BTW – Anyone know how old Sean Hoare was? I actually looked in a handful of different articles but could not find that info.
Brain Hertz
No, I don’t think so. British police are well known for saying very little beyond the minimum necessary statement of fact. The announcement is fairly standard issue just-the-facts for them. I really wouldn’t try reading anything into the wording of the release. It’s just that they’re not really saying very much, and this is entirely standard practice. (FYI – I’m from there, but have lived in the US for the last few years).
One important point to note before everybody starts talking about the police being corrupt and not to be trusted to investigate fairly (oops… too late), he was living in Watford, and this falls under the jurisdiction of Hertfordshire police, not the Met. Just sayin…
MazeDancer
@Lol:
Your voice mail comment so dark. But funny. Reality, it would be good police work to do so.
Hope it is discovered what happened to the poor guy.
Linda Featheringill
@Jamie: #36
Casey’s brain tumor.
I was working for a neuropathologist at that time. The word in the department was that the reported type of tumor was one that everyone had heard of but was considered rare. My doc made about 20 phone calls to other similar pathologists in the country, who were also making phone calls all over the place, looking for someone who had actually seen this type of tumor. When the total number of working neuropathologists who hadn’t ever seen this particular tumor reached a critical point, they all decided to quit asking questions.
stuckinred
Brain Hertz
Where is Jane Tennyson when we need her?
Mike Kay (Cheif of Staff)
This reminds me of Iraq weapons inspector/whisleblower David Kelly death’s.
Han's Big Snark Solo
@MattR:
I was thinking more along the lines of, let’s see, who do the wingnuts hate more than anyone else? hmm.
Okay, how about pictures come out showing Murdock wearing a leather thong, one of those leather facial masks with a zipper mouth and a ball gag. He’s strapped to a table while behind him Nancy Pelosi goes full on dominatrix with a cat of nine tails.
(Sorry Nancy, I know you have much better taste than that, I just couldn’t think of anybody they hate as much as they hate you. My bad.)
Villago Delenda Est
@52 Cain:
Yup. Just as when Cornelius Fudge let the dementors take out Barty Crouch Jr. in the 4th Harry Potter book. Yeah, he spilled his guts, but he can’t do it in front of a panel of investigators. All we’ve got is that obvious crackpot Dumbledore, who’s out to overthrow the Ministry of Magic, telling us that’s what Crouch said. Very convenient for someone seeking to cover up something they don’t want out, like the return of You-Know-Who.
13th Generation
@Violet 51
ok you don’t think he was murdered, but you’re all in on the Rebekah Brooks secret lover thing? Really?
Villago Delenda Est
They hate the Sheriff even more. The Sheriff who is near.
Mike Kay (Chief of Staff)
This reminds me of Iraq weapons inspector/whisleblower David Kelly death’s.
Jamie
Linda #56
As a cell biologist it seemed like a pretty quick and convenient death to me.
NamelessGenXer
Aw, Paulie… won’t see him no more.
Mike Kay (Chief of Staff)
This is Great News for McCain
Violet
@13th Generation:
No, I’m not all in. Someone mentioned the lack of a sex angle as being the only thing missing. So I mentioned that I’d seen it discussed as speculation. Nothing more than that.
If Rupert did call her “the daughter I never had” that’s just weird because he has several actual daughters. But that doesn’t mean he was sleeping with her. Maybe his daughters have ethical standards, something he appreciated that Rebekah did not have.
Jamie
sheesh, news paper reporters can afford a 1000 pound/week coke habit. I picked the wrong profession.
jheartney
@ROSSINDETROIS
If you are intimidating others who might be thinking of spilling the beans, the timing is perfect.
anonymoose
Why do we need an Americanized version of a British scandal? The British do a good job themselves of movies/miniseries.
Check out State of Play an excellent miniseries…..which is way better than the “too much stuff to put into a two hour movie” remake starring Russell Crowe
Nemo_N
They will also find child pornography in his laptop.
gpleigh
@MattR I get what you’re saying but given the circumstances of current events, I would think if there is no apparent explanation then it would raise suspicion. There isn’t any information about his age available, which adds to the question. Nor talk of drug paraphernalia.
Brain Hertz
By the way, I think we’re going to be hearing a lot more from Neil Wallis over the next few weeks; there’s something going on here:
Neil Wallis is one of the people who has been arrested. At one point, between late 2009 and early 2010, he was employed by the Met (after resigning from News International) as a “media adviser”. During the period he was there, the Met had numerous meetings with reporters at the Guardian in an attempt to get them to back off the story. I’ll look for a link to the Guardian’s letter to the Met which has details.
Why do you suppose the Met were so keen to help out their friend Mr Wallis? What does he have in his CYA files?
[Edited to fix blockquote fail]
Brain Hertz
and, oh. Fuck me.
Rebekah’s in big trouble. Big. Fucking. Trouble.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/jul/18/mystery-bag-bin-rebekah-brooks
[Edit: just in case anybody needs a translation from British English, “bin” means either a trash can or a dumpster]
Mike Kay (Chief of Staff)
This is like the episode in Tea Pot Dome, when the bag man “turned up dead”.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jess_Smith
Dave
@MattR
Lots of people are going to get fucked hard before this scandal shakes itself out. Does that count?
LittlePig Johnson
Villago Delenda Est Johnson is right!
ABL
totally. and maybe a cache of passports with different names on them.
mattr- seriously? lighten up.
Villago Delenda Est
The thing is, we’re moving into the panic mode by the perpetrators of this crap. Which means they’re going to get sloppy. Which gives those investigating an opening.
13th Generation
@Violet
Personally, I think this shit probably runs so deep that anything is possible, including murder. This is just the tip of the iceberg, look at what has already come out across the pond, you know there is more of that to come here. Again, I wouldn’t be surprised at anything at this point.
Violet
This whole thing is such a mess. The government, media, police, etc. are so intertwined it’s like an inbred family tree. From the Guardian liveblog:
So much for that strict vetting. Sheesh.
gpleigh
Another bizarre twist:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/jul/18/mystery-bag-bin-rebekah-brooks
Martin
Going the full Max Mosley would be better: S&M nazi sex orgy with 5 prostitutes. In a perfect twist of irony, he was brought down by NOTW and won a privacy suit against them.
patroclus
Thanks for the edit – I read that first as “found in bin Laden’s bag” next to Rebekah’s home.
:-)
Martin
Oh, I wouldn’t rule that out either, but I don’t think they’d be so brazen as to do it now, particularly when the police are implicated in the mess. The police are going to be working double time to restore their reputation with the public.
dmsilev
Someone should dust for prints to see if Jessica Fletcher was anywhere in the vicinity. History’s greatest serial killer, and she always beat the rap by pretending to investigate the case and framing some poor schlub for the crime.
Southern Beale
I think the guy had a long history of drug and alcohol problems. But whatever.
In other news, all the hand-wringing over Elizabeth Warren not getting the consumer protection gig may be premature since the rumor is she’ll run fro Scott Brown’s Senate seat. And we need this woman in the U.S. Senate, perhaps more than we need her in some obscure consumer protection office.
Brain Hertz
This could be really big – go and read the article that I linked earlier – this has just been released:
Go and read Charlie Brooks’ story and see if you think it makes any sense at all…
Violet
@13th Generation:
I wouldn’t be surprised at anything either. I really hope some of it does come across the pond and we get a better look at what Rupert has done over here too.
MattR
@Han’s Big Snark Solo: My bad. I’ll have to think dirtier next time.
@Nemo_N:
Of boys, obviously.
@gpleigh: I hear ya. I have no idea what a typical British police announcement would sound like, though I am also guessing that current events have made the police even more tight lipped with less info to the media (authorized or leaks) than usual. I guess I am just not that surprised that somebody who lived a “hard” lifestyle might die younger than expected, even if they had cut back on that lifestyle in recent years. (Not to say that they should not investigate to make sure, but even with all the controversy I lean towards natural causes.) If Charlie Sheen were to clean up his life and then we find him dead at home in 5 years, I don’t think anyone would be all too shocked. (FYI – Just found that Sean Hoare was born Jan 2, 1962 so he was 49.)
@ABL:
That’s what you tell everyone who immediately thought Clinton had Vince Foster killed, right?
John O
RE the linked article about the computer and files in the trash: LOL
I smell panic all over the place.
It’s starting to be pretty clear that SOMEONE in the room farted.
me
Does Rupert look a bit like Francis Urquhart?
GregB
This won’t be the first time a man has bound and gagged himself and then beaten himself to death.
licensed to kill time
@Brain Hertz:
Sounds like a dead drop gone wrong. Ol’ Charlie arrived just a bit too late.
Man, this thing just gets curiouser and curiouser…
Brain Hertz
I hate it when that happens. I mean, just the other day I lent somebody a cellphone and a laptop, and I gave them specific instructions as to what part of the parking lot near my home they should leave it in…
arguingwithsignposts
@Han’s Big Snark Solo:
I’m sorry, but you must have missed all the parts about the NoTW blackmailing politicians and others with salacious stories of extra-marital affairs in exchange for other stories. Sex was part of the scandal from the get-go.
Dexter
Yeah, the cleaner thought a bag that has laptop and cell phone is a rubbish. Brooks’ need a better excuse.
Brain Hertz
Note to Charlie Brooks, for future reference:
What you need to do is take out the hard drive and dismantle it, and then put the magnetic platters in a blender. It’s a lot safer than trying to dump the thing in the trash. People find stuff that they thought they had safely dumped in the trash all the time (your wife should be able to fill you in on that).
Linda Featheringill
@dmsilev: #86
Leeeeeave Jessical aloooooooone! :-)
kay
Oh, no. They’re not even very good at this cloak and dagger stuff.
Violet
@Brain Hertz:
Her husband Charlie’s explanation doesn’t make sense. To begin with, who puts a laptop and important papers in a bin bag instead of a sturdier bag or even a proper laptop bag or briefcase?
But okay, let’s say he did. And apparently “a friend” was “returning it”. What kind of “return” of important items like that is done by dropping it in a parking garage?
There’s a right part of a parking garage to leave a bin bag filled with a laptop and important papers so that the owner can collect it later? Huh?
Doesn’t make any sense at all.
Dexter
BTW, more schadenfreude…
MattR
@Dexter: And how exactly did security get the bag if the cleaner put it in the trash?
@Violet: I assumed everything was in a laptop bag.
jl
@95 Brain Hertz: well, did you also receive a suggestion about what happened to it?
@95 and @101: makes perfect sense to me if there was a strong suggestion involved, from somebody or somebodies or other.
@102: Well, one cleaner thought it was obviously trash to go in the bin, and another cleaner or guard thought it was extremely suspicious, enough to call the cops. Opinions differ, you know.
Linda Featheringill
@Brain Hertz: #88
On US TV, when something is found in a dumpster it can be taken without a warrant or permission of any kind.
Brain Hertz
@Violet,
yeah, can’t wait to find out what’s on the computer.
It just makes it so much better now that they’ve been busted trying to dispose of it.
John O
I’ve never even considered leaving my cellphone, much less my laptop, with anyone, ever. What for?
Keith
@John O
Top contender for the inscription on Sean Hoare’s tombstone?
scav
That bin bag drop is epic in cluelessness. How many fucking phones (and computers?) do the bright and the beautiful have so that they’re left with others at times when presumably you’d to be in contact with others? Seriously. Hold my cell phone for a week, we’ll arrange a swap later.
Captain Haddock
As HIGHLY F*CKING SUSPICIOUS as it sounds, I would not rule out someone with a coke habit having a massive heart attack under this amount of pressure.
That being said, I would not get on any small airplanes with any of the involved parties…
MattR
How’s this for some speculation as to how this could have nothing to do with the phone hacking scandal – the friend was female and he left it there accidentally after an over night stay.
John O
Gee, you know when I would consider giving my cell phone and computer to someone else?
When I was planning or involved in a crime.
I refuse to believe this is an actual conspiracy until I see something a little more solid, but the weight of circumstance is starting to pile up.
Mike Kay (Chief of Staff)
I think the biggest scandal was the product Rebekah Brooks was using on her hair.
Violet
@MattR:
Maybe I misread the “bin bag” part. But the rest of it stays the same or is even worse. Who drops a laptop bag off in a parking garage for pickup by someone else? No fears it would be stolen? Really?
jl
I am sincerely sorry this poor whistle blower died. Sounds like he had some hard times.
But, can see now why the Brits do such good mystery shows.
John O
Damn, Matt, that’s a real good possible explanation.
Still, if the police have the goods, we’ll know soon enough on this aspect of it, I would think.
Dexter
Even more confusing than the Brooks’ story. Why would Charlie Brooks claim it as his then?
Brain Hertz
I’m thinking that there’s a couple of reasonable explanations for what occurred with the laptop and phone:
1. This was an attempt to dispose of the laptop containing incriminating information (this was my first assumption)
2. This was a drop from a former NotW employee handing over incriminating information in return for a payoff.
I’m not really sure which now.
Bonus FAIL: the parking lot has security cameras all over it, and they’re all recorded. We should find out who left it shortly…
eemom
wrt the “naw, they wouldn’t off him now, it’s too obvious” POV — yer fergettin that these people are USED to getting away with murder. There is no lie so brazen that they haven’t succeeded in selling it to the fucking morons on our side of the pond.
Linda Featheringill
Even if the computer doesn’t belong to Rebekah, it might have some interesting stuff on it. Hubby doesn’t seem to be too bright right now and may well have gotten careless.
MattR
@Violet: Maybe it was a laptop bag in a garbage bag? As for the rest, see my speculation at 111 :) The weirdest part of it is that he attempted to retrieve it, although I guess he could have realized his plan to ditch it like that was a panicky mistake.
@Mike Kay (Chief of Staff): When CNN.com first had her picture up on the home page I initially though it was Carrottop.
@Dexter: He left it with his GF by accident. She dropped it in the neighboring parking garage to avoid being seen. He went to pick it up but could not find it so he went to security to claim it. Had he been able to prove it was his, I am guessing security would have handed it over and we never would have heard about it. (EDIT: Though Brian Hertz points out a potential flaw in this theory in a comment below)
Dexter
Why would someone want to ditch a laptop with possible incriminating evidence at a parking garage with CCTV? What’s wrong with the Thames that is so near to their house?
Brain Hertz
Well, I guess it’s feasible, but it sounds pretty unlikely to me. If Brooks had been able to make an overnight visit without anybody noticing the first time, he would have just as easily been able to go over there and pick it up. Or have one of his staff go and pick it up.
Kane
If this wasn’t a News Of The World related story, what would the News Corp headline be?
Perhaps, “Rupert Murdoch and dead Hoare!”
jl
@121: If was his, why could he not prove it was his? If it was his GF’s why did she not go pick it up, which would be safer, I think?
Something is very odd about the story.
Edit: if he could communicate with the person who owned the bag or computer, or cell, or whatever, why did he not get the info to ID it?
It was a drop off gone wrong..
I will remember to look out for what a happens, if anything, this side story (well, side story so far).
JC
That, of course, makes no sense whatsoever. Only in the context of ‘We want to 100% sure what the evidence indicates, before we say anything”.
Given the TIMING – and the fact that the whistleblower should be elated, that finally his whistleblowing is having an effect, which rules out suicide – murder has to be more likely than not. That MAY not be the case, but certainly is the most likely scenario, until we know more.
Brain Hertz
@Dexter:
Because he’s a moron?
I don’t think there is any possible explanation of what occurred (including Brooks’ own bullshit story) that doesn’t require that as a predicate.
Uncle Clarence Thomas
.
.
I pity the fool who blows the whistle on President Obama. He hates whistleblowers more than Rupert Murdoch.
.
.
Ash Can
OK, now — as opposed to the story about poor Sean Hoare, which is merely suspicious — the bag-in-the-garage bit stinks to high heaven. Here’s hoping it yields a shit-ton of evidence.
scav
I mean Donna Noble put the car keys in the trash can for her mother in Doctor Who, we’re talking Bigger on the Inside levels of plot here. And I took a nap in the middle of this.
BillinGlendaleCA (aka 10amla)
@Martin: Though both of their wives are Chinese.
MattR
@jl: I don’t actually believe my specualtion. But it was the only way I could think of that this is completely unrelated to the phone hacking scandal as Charlie Brooks claims.
@Brain Hertz:
I can get behind this speculation 100% :)
EDIT: I am now curious how long the parking garage keeps its security footage and if the police will go back to see if this is a pattern of behavior as opposed to a one time occurrence.
Violet
Since he can’t prove it’s his, there has to be more to the story. Speculation:
1. It’s Rebekah’s and he was disposing of it for her.
2. It’s another NOTW employee’s computer and he was doing the same.
3. It’s a NOTW computer and he was picking it up for blackmail purposes.
4. It’s related to an affair he’s having (girlfriend? boyfriend?) and he was trying to hide it so his affair wouldn’t be uncovered in the investigation of Rebekah.
5. He’s doing something illegal but unrelated to the Murdoch scandal, and he was trying to avoid that coming to light.
licensed to kill time
I’m thinking the laptop (whether Charlie’s or Rebekah’s) was handed over to a friend for safekeeping, said friend either got nervous about keeping it or Charlie needed it back for whatever reason, a dead drop in parking garage was arranged and Charlie got there too late to retrieve it before it was noticed and turned in.
Major Spy vs. Spy fail.
Man, what a movie this will eventually make.
Mike Kay (Chief of Staff)
I tell ya, noting sparks a nation wide panic like a dead white girl.
arguingwithsignposts
Related, but who is Charlie Brooks? Wikipedia says he’s a horse-trainer and author, but not much else. A Guardian story said he was a school chum of Cameron’s older brother. Anyone know anything else about him? Just old money?
Jamie
hmmm, Another question will be did anyone remember to reformat the hard drive?
scav
Still, it does add a touch of all those computers and thumb drives left in taxis element to the whole slumgullion of awesome.
Dexter
Also this from Guardian FWIW:
ETA: Blockquote fail again. FYWP.
Matt
Quick, somebody tell Fox that Hilary was spotted in the UK – they’ll be ALL OVER it then! ;)
gpleigh
The husband tried to retrieve the bag but couldn’t prove it was his. Oooof.
Joel
In the last week, 525+ million shares (or ~20%) of Newscorp have been moved, and counting. Institutional ownership has dropped from >80% to 60% as well.
They’ve also dropped ~5% today and they’re trending down. Looks like Murdoch’s buyback is wearing off.
scav
Joel: and amid the whole bin bag white truck bru ha ha the Guard snuck in
Practically speaking this bit may prove far more important on this side of the Atlantic.
BO_Bill
Based on the fact that it would be irresponsible not to speculate, this tragic loss of human life, my recent experiences as a self-sensation sales engineer, and most importantly, the expression on Mr. Hoare’s face in the above posted photo, I have a theory.
I sold four of these bad boys OF THE SAME DIAMETER to a single customer in the fairly recent past. Now it is not unheard of for a single customer to order, say, three of these devices ranging in diameter from small to large. This is Reasonable for a beginner with big aspirations. But for a single customer to order four larges is without precedent in my experience.
This sale also makes no sense in the absence of a Balloon-Juice or Net Roots convention, AND THERE HAVE BEEN NONE RECENTLY. Therefore, I agree with Matt. It is my opinion that Hillary Clinton should be considered to be a primary person of interest in the death of this whistle-blower.
Violet
@arguingwithsignposts:
From his Amazon book page:
Horse racing isn’t the cleanest industry. Perhaps Charlie is involved in things he doesn’t want made public? How convenient he was married to the tabloid queen. No chance his dirt would be made public. Until she was arrested, that is. Hmmm…
He also went to Eton, so he’s well connected. Good friend of David Cameron, apparently.
Poopyman
I dunno. Seems to me that any bag not attached to a person that turns up in a public parking garage in Great Britain would have the Bomb Disposal Unit all over it. These people have too much experience with exploding packages.
This “bag in a bin” story isn’t adding up from the get–go.
The Moar You Know
A halfway competent digital forensics expert will be able to tell whether data was wiped from the cellphone and computer. I hope that they have on staff someone who is, indeed, halfway competent.
Bobby Thomson
At 1:19
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkYjRrmoXBs&watch_response
trollhattan
Anybody else see a resemblance?
http://godfather.wikia.com/wiki/Luca_Brasi
Mike Kay (Chief of Staff)
When I first read, “bag in a bin” I thought it was a terrible way to describe Rebekah Brooks. Then, for the first time in british tabloid history, I found they were being literal.
John O
“Now who’s being naive, Kate.” No question mark involved.
eemom
I know, I know! The bizzaro bag story was deliberately concocted to distract attention from the dead guy.
I mean look what happened right here on this very thread.
HyperIon
ABL wrote:
Did you learn that in law school?
Violet
Interview with Charlie Brooks here. Awfully stern looking Rebekah. The interview was June 2009. They were engaged.
handsmile
Admittedly not as tawdry as the life and now premature death of Sean Hoare or as pulp cloak-and-dagger as Charlie Brooks’ parking garage luggage drop-off, this new Guardian story underscores how Murdoch truly perceives the magnitude of the phone-hacking scandal:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/jul/18/rupert-murdoch-us-legal-team
In summary, Murdoch has begun to assemble an outside legal team with expertise in federal criminal cases. It will be headed by Brendan Suliivan, who describes himself as a “specialist in high profile criminal litigation.” Recent clients of Sullivan include former Alaska senator Ted Stevens in his federal corruption trial and the former chairman of the NY Stock Exchange, Richard Grasso, who was sued in 2004 by then state attorney-general Elliot Spitzer to recover an allegedly excessive $140m severance package. Another former client that some may recall is Oliver North, whom Sullivan represented during the Iran-Contra hearings. Murdoch should certainly feel at home among that rogues gallery.
Of particular interest to NYC resident readers here, Sullivan was recommended by Joel Klein, who abruptly resigned last autumn as chancellor of the NYC public school system to become executive vice president of NewsCorp. (Last week, Murdoch tasked Klein with heading up an internal investigation of the phone-hacking scandal.) As school chancellor, Klein was appointed by and reported to the billionaire mayor/emperor of New York, Michael Bloomberg, himself the proprietor of a little media company, Bloomberg News.
Ain’t it all so damned cozy?! So perhaps there might be something to that Foreign Corrupt Practices Act after all…
Dennis SGMM
@The Moar You Know:
Even if the data on the laptop’s hard drive was deleted it’s still possible for an expert to recover it. Hard drives are mechanical devices and there are tiny variations in where they write the data. The result is that unless you use a “CIA Wipe”: format the drive then write zeros to the whole shebang five times there’s a good chance that the data on it can be recovered.
Brain Hertz
@Dennis SGMM,
My method @ #98 works quite well too :)
scav
eemom: oh surely, because we’ve already proven that mere temporal anomalies like two things more or less happening at the same time are evidence of one being done in reaction to and to cover up the other. Still, given the way the plot is going at the moment, anything could be true.
Dennis SGMM
@Brain Hertz:
LOL! I did IT for a Beverley Hills cosmetic surgery practice for a few years. Whenever I replaced the drive I smashed up the old one with a ball peen hammer. I smashed the ones that had been used to archive the before-and-after pictures of some of the entertainment industry’s finest and then smashed the pieces.
Judas Escargot
@wrb
…how many successes?
Mike Kay (Chief of Staff)
At this point I don’t think even Horace Rumpole can save Rebekah Brooks.
Jamie
Rebekah has been thrown under the train… drip drip drip…I wonder how many more will join her.
Cain
@anonymoose:
Jekyll is pretty good too..
Nutella
@Violet:
Charlie Brooks’ book was published by Harper Collins, which you will not be surprised to know is owned by News Corp. Here’s their page about the book. Lots of nudges and winks about now (not) law-abiding he is.
scarshapedstar
Geez, Rupert, were you too impatient for the good ol’ Small Plane Crash?
dave
EVERYBODY CALM DOWN
scav
this is BJ in a state of calm.
Violet
@Nutella:
Oh good Lord. From that write up:
Champneys is the spa that the Scotland Yard chief who resigned yesterday, Stephenson, got that £12,000 freebie visit. And from here:
These people are so intertwined it’s creepy.
shortstop
The stashed laptop/phone is way stinkier than the dead alcoholic/former cokehead.
I stayed completely away from the case of the woman who offed her daughter and was acquitted. Not interesting. But I can’t take my eyes off this — now, THIS is a scandal.
Nutella
@Violet:
Yeah, Jilly Cooper could write a roman a clef about this bunch but even if she kept strictly to the known facts it wouldn’t be believable.
Admiral_Komack
49. wrb – July 18, 2011 | 4:04 pm · Link
“I prefer to off whistle blowers after the story has broken. Then people think no one would take such a risk. Hasn’t failed me yet.”
ummm…you forgot the “BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!”
birthmarker
Since we are speculating wildly, I am voting for the “Sent the laptop off to be checked for incriminating evidence, then wiped clean” theory.
Why did the cops not get the laptop at the time of RB’s arrest?
D SGMM-You smashed up a potential fortune!
Also, about Hoare-was the man really that much of a druggie or is that just the spin put out to smear his reputation by Murdoch minions?
Also, would Murdoch have any reason to want to pay off the husband by means of the publication of the book? Was there an unusually large advance?
shortstop
Violet @168: like aspens, would you say?
Nutella
@birthmarker:
Not necessarily. It’s probably just an example of the usual ways that the in-crowd supports the in-crowd’s relatives by funneling business their way.
boatboy_srq
@stuckinred
FTW!
wrb
“ummm…you forgot the “BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA!””
Loud unpleasant noises are neither useful nor stylish.
birthmarker
Nutella-Murdoch could have been paying off RB through the hubby’s book. Certainly wouldn’t be unprecedented. (Once again, I am feeling free to wildly speculate.)
jaleh
It’s all Obama’s fault.
Do you want to bet when the rightwingers will say that?
Admiral_Komack
“Yeah, the cleaner thought a bag that has laptop and cell phone is a rubbish. Brooks’ need a better excuse.”
Cleaner: “Man, I got better shit than this!”
“I’ll put this garbage in the trash; it’ll be a kindness.”
(Chief Brody voice) “You’re going to need a bigger excuse.”
harlana
“I hope the family orders an independent autopsy. Scotland Yard seems to be so corrupt, I am not sure they should be trusted to oversee it.”
THIS, surely someone will intervene (I hope) – You cannot speculate yet as to cause of death, but this screams for an independent investigation
Tehanu
@Brain Hertz 54:
I seem to recall reading that the non-Metropolitan police organizations don’t much like the Met, mostly because the Met constantly horns its way into local investigations that have publicity value. Of course, some of that may be simple jealousy because the Met has more money & resources.
No one of Importance
Yeah, but….
Maybe no one put a bullet in Mr Hoare’s brain. But maybe someone dropped by with a nice bottle of whiskey and a gift pack of cocaine to help out a poor old disability pensioner ease his pain and regrets…and it just purely coincidentally led to an overdose/heart attack.
Of course this is all purely speculation. I’m sure no one in News International would ever *countenance* such behaviour.
Nutella
@birthmarker:
Could be! It’s a traditional way to pay people under the table, that’s for sure.
harlana (meaning, she who holds the popcorn)
Surely the sex angle will materialize in the next few days.
Watching Pat Buchanan on Tweety right now, Is all this really real or is this just one long strange and soul-sucking trip? And I’m gonna wake up and it’s 1994 or something.
harlana (meaning, she who holds the popcorn)
And Grover Norquist. What demon from hell crafted this putrid little toad of a human being? Plus, he’s a Mooslum. Tweety is smacking him around.
(apologies to toads everywhere)
harlana (meaning, she who holds the popcorn)
This Tweety smackdown is a thing of beauty. So I still must be tripping.
Yurpean
I’m sorry, but I have so say at this point Fuck You with the conspiracy crap. A man dies, and you reduce his death to a bullshit, oh it must be a conspiracy, nevermind the real circumstances of his life, the very real drinking and drug taking that can be (at least partially) ascribed to the journalistix life he’s lived, no this calls for a paranoid talking point rant.
This situation is fucked up enough without conspiracy minded bollocks entering the fray. Fuck off with the ‘this fits my narrative so it must be murder’ shite.
arguingwithsignposts
@harlana (meaning, she who holds the popcorn): Grover Fucking Norquist is not a Muslim. He’s married to one.
Per wiki:
Yurpean
NB any incoherence in the previous comment may be attributable tot he consumption of alcohol.
I’m sure however that the sober me in the morning will still be of the ‘fuck you’ opinion of ABL’s conspirabollocks.
birthmarker
Harlana-In college, I accepted a LONG ride home from a Rolling Stones concert with someone I didn’t know. As we pulled out, he says, “Hey! I’m not tripping anymore! Now I’m just high!” I decided the best thing to do was to go to sleep so the crash wouldn’t be too painful.
Corner Stone
@Yurpean:
Newsletter? Do you have one?
No one of Importance
Concern troll is concerned. I haz a sad.
rfgwevbax
Er, last time I checked, mass corruption and collusion at the heart of the British Establishment involving the press, the police and politicians, is a conspiracy.
The only question is how deep the rabbit hole goes.
Cara
Is there any release as to how he died like “heart attack” “hung himslf” frustrating and suspicious that they have not been quick to release details – I feel if they had nothing to hide they would be falling over themselves to publish reason for death.
gail smith
Wow the guy mysteriously died huh. kind of like Madoff’s son hanging himself,or that Enron executive who mysteriously died in a skiing accident. oohhh yeaahh and I am supposed to believe all this. Give me break. Hoare had all the goods to sink Murdoch and a bunch of heavy hitters. He got clipped because he was going to really bring down the hammer on these assholes
morris wise
There is no person as highly respected as the Medical Examiner. They will be believed even if they claim that a murdered victim died from an accidental fall. Rarely are the findings of the Medical Examiner contested. It would not be difficult for a buddy of the Medical Examiner to strangle his wife and dangle her from a ceiling pipe. The findings would surely be suicide. It is frightening that any politically connected or wealthy person can murder whom ever they wish, most Medical Examiners can use a few extra bucks. The solution to ending the problem of perfect murders would be to have the Medical Examiner water boarded after he turns in each of his findings.
Brain Hertz
morris wise,
that’s interesting, but the UK doesn’t have medical examiners. The UK has coroners, who are members of the judiciary. It’s a little bit different…