Page 307 - Some Dance to Remember
P. 307

Some Dance to Remember                                     277

               according to Abraham, belong to his uncle in San Francisco.
                  By way of background, we learned that the deceased had not worked
               steadily since leaving the military. He and his wife had divorced and
               remarried twice and had been separated on other numerous occasions.
               The deceased was a Vietnam-era veteran and had recently been under
               treatment at the VA Hospital in San Francisco. His brother, the above-
               mentioned R. S. O’Hara, had permitted the deceased and his family to
               live rent free in the main house for the last 16 months in return for work
               on the property. At one point, the deceased had taken a number of his
               wife’s sleeping pills. He was treated for a drug overdose at an unknown
               area hospital. According to Sgt. Harter, area sheriffs deputies had made
               several domestic runs to the ranch residence. Sgt. Harter was acquainted
               with the deceased and, on at least one occasion, had referred him to a
               friend for a job. He did not like his estranged wife working at the Win-
               ners Circle Bar, but she, even while estranged, was basically the source of
               family income which was also augmented by the deceased’s homosexual
               brother. The deceased rarely drank or used nonprescription drugs. His use
               of prescribed drugs, however, seems excessive. The drugs collected, issued
               by the Veteran’s Administration Hospital in San Francisco, include Per-
               cocet, Valium, Ativan, Darvocet, and Lithobid. This might bear further
               investigation, but again this is also speculation.
                  Based upon our investigation, we can find no evidence that would
               lead to any other conclusion but suicide. It is possible that the deceased
               had stood on the weightlifting bench and leaned back against the rope
               until he passed out. This would better explain his feet still being on the
               weightlifting bench. It does not appear that he jumped off the weightlift-
               ing bench. I believe that if the heavy iron bench could have been kicked
               over or could have slid from under the victim, his feet would not have
               remained on the weight-lifting bench.
                  Upon the arrival of Redwood Ambulance Service, I cut down the
               body in the prescribed manner, preserving both knots, leaving the rope
               attached to the victim, and sent it to the Coroner’s Office. Det. Darcan-
               gelo and I secured the barn and the main residence at 1105 hours.
                  Investigation complete pending Coroner’s ruling.
               Signed: Det. Sgt. Mike Flagerman
               lcm

                                             9


                  Ryan threw Thom’s Death Report on the floor. “What the hell does

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