Lead building inspector for Philadelphia Building which collapsed, commits suicide!

I'm not the first one to jump on the conspiracy bandwagon every time something a little odd happens which comes peripheral to a tragedy. In fact, I'm usually among the last if there isn't clear and compelling evidence of dirty deeds or at least highly questionable ones.

Well, each can make their own call on the level this rises to, but it stinks more than a bit to me. Not only because that whole situation struck me as a bit weird, but the calls of the crane operator being scapegoated and Philly's reputation for being ....an organized family kind of town in the traditional sense. Organized in some criminal ways, at least in times not so distant in the past.

So what happened to get the bunny's ears up?? Well, get a load of this and tell me how it smells to you.

The lead inspector of a Center City building that collapsed last week is dead after he committed suicide, according to multiple law enforcement sources close to the investigation who did not want to be named.

Law enforcement sources say the man shot himself once in the chest and was found dead inside his truck along the 100 block of Shawmont Avenue in Philadelphia around 9:30 p.m., less than a mile from his home. The man didn't leave behind a note but did text his wife before pulling the trigger, according to sources.

Source

In the interests of being responsible, despite suspicion, I will note that suspicion based on a weird feel to all this is all it is. Nothing more and nothing less. Kinda like Vince Foster. No proof.....but something's rotten in the State of Denmark, so to speak.

Anyone else get that?

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


I am going to try and not add to it, but .. . .

That he sent a text is a little weird. Maybe not weird but questionable at least.

So, Maybe I read that wrong but if I were thinking conspiracy I would think that someone shot him in the chest and Then sent a text.

I did read that again and it does say Suicide, Not Suicided.

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


Greetings.

Is the lead inspector the same man named in this article?

Griffin Campbell

If so, then I get the feeling he committed suicide due to the lawsuits coming his way, the deaths and injuries on his hands and the grand jury that will probably send him to jail.

reply to post by ShadellacZumbrum


That was part of what struck me as odd too. Your very last act on Earth...and you're going to send a text message? To your wife? No note to explain? No note of remorse or regret..if that is what this was about?

...and outside of a movie, how many people shoot themselves in the chest, anyway? Maybe one of our Police members can throw 2 cents in for that one, but it seems odd to me. Even with a solid understanding of anatomy, I sure wouldn't want to risk missing on a thing like that?

(imagining the scene and shaking my head)

@Alpha

It could be..but your link says lead contractor and this says Building Inspector with an added bit that he'd inspected the building several times in the past, leading up to the collapse? I guess we'll see when they release the name.

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


There was a QA inspector at one of the C-130 depot facilities that killed himself after an aircraft he inspected and signed off on crashed and killed everyone on board. When they found the crash scene one wing had separated, due to the fasteners not being attached properly (the locking pins weren't installed allowing the fasteners to work loose).

I can't find hard stats, but it's been a long hot as hell day, and we're going past Bonaroo (Tennessee insanity), but shooting yourself in the chest isn't uncommon apparently. From the sound of things it's more common with a long gun, but it happens with a handgun as well.

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


Suicide by GSW to the chest is pretty uncommon. Male suicide victims tend to hang themselves or go for the sure thing and put their bullet in their brain. It's actually pretty difficult to get a quick kill shot in your own chest, you have to pull the trigger with your thumbs which is unnatural. Now with that said, it has happened before but typically it's done to avoid a life insurance policy denying payment on the suicide clause and they usually go for a slow bleed out shot so they have time to place the gun next to or away from their body to appear it was a homicide.

The text thing is a bit suspicious as well. Anyone could shoot you in the chest then pick up your phone and send a text. If the circumstances weren't so odd I'd chalk it up to his guilt of missing whatever caused the collapse that he may have been able to prevent, or at least warn of prior to it occurring.

If I were the investigators I wouldn't be so quick to rule it a suicide. Especially since there's not only one but TWO very suspicious circumstances in this case, texting and suicide by GSW to chest. One of which would raise an eyebrow, both together would pull up my e-brake and make me do a double take.

Wow, I deal with these guys too often. I actually got arrested last sunday doing a lil stucco repair on my historic building (not my actual residence, just an investment place near mom) The neighbour told the police I was trespassing. She's a witch. Long story, but I'll post it soon. I will also follow up on the L&I story, I'm going to PHL tomorrow.



afaik, it was the demo crane operator who caused the collapse.

reply to post by DistantThunder


Wait, not to go too off topic, but if you own the property what were you arrested for? You obviously weren't trespassing.

Sorry Wrabbit that got my curiosity antenna up.

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


I thought that immediately because I had read this article not long ago.

It defines some pretty interesting coincidences.


Suicide or Homicide


Following are a few ways to tell murder from suicide.

Where on the body the injury occurred: A shot to the side of the head, in the mouth, or to the front of the chest is usually suicide. Wounds located anywhere else are most likely homicide.

Distance of gun from the body: Most suicide shots are at contact or near contact range, causing a burn mark around the wound and leaving gunpowder residue (which can be wiped off). At contact range, and if the gun is fired just above a bone, such as the skull or the sternum, a star-like wound is produced. Anything further away is likely homicide.

Angle of the shot: Most suicide shots are angled slightly upward.

Number of shots fired: After one shot, even if a suicide victim isn't dead, he would likely be unconscious or physically unable to fire a second time. Multiple shots usually indicate homicide.

Presence of gunpowder residue on victims hand: If a man shot himself, there would be powder residue from unburned carbon on the hand that fired the gun.

Shots through clothing: A suicide victim will rarely shoot through clothing. If he shoots himself in the chest, which is unusual, he will open his shirt to expose the skin. Shots through clothing suggest homicide.

History, a note, other factors: If the victim left a suicide note, or was known to have personal problems, or if there was evidence of drug use or drinking, suicide is likely.

It's actually some crabby bitch's lot used for parking adjacent to my party wall, and there is/was an alley there deeded to me. The witch destroyed that wall 15yr ago by parking a Bronco in the mud 6in away, then sued me for moving her pos fence to repair it. She lost, appealed, and I handed her ass to her in big boy court with a free counter-claim! Parking like that requires a cement pad to spread the weight, exactly to avert this occurrence.

I only got $20k, not enough to fix very much. She kind of ruined my life, if I think about it. Anyway, I DIYed the wall, an incredible engineering feat I will post pics of that soon. Gotta hit the sack.

Here's some professional info on suicide by GSW to chest.
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov...

reply to post by EViLKoNCEPTz


Thank you. I really appreciate the database/resource there. The info is interesting to read and thanks for that too.

I'd never run across that site before. That's definitely going in my news source folder.

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


Theres no conspiracy here. If he didn't kill himself he probably got shot by a drug dealer.Randomly of course. Ever been to Philadelphia? No? I have.Lived in that area for a good part of my life. Not uncommon for an innocent person to be hit by gunfire. But it's also not hard to believe he killed himself with what will be coming his way.Killed himself out of guilt.Just an FYI for anyone who doesn't know..that particular news station isn't exactly trustworthy. They hardly get anything right.

reply to post by nightstalker78


So, you're saying a drug dealer shot him, then texted his wife and staged his suicide? Drug dealers don't go through that much effort they typically aren't all that bright. There's really only 2 options here, he committed suicide in a very odd manner compared to a typical suicide, or someone shut him up permanently.

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


You're quite welcome. I got curious about the actual statistics of people committing suicide by GSW to the chest and had to run look. The first link posted further up by another poster looked interesting, until I realized it was part of a fiction writer's website used to make stories semi-accurate but mostly more entertaining and the author of that site listed no sources of where his information came from. I needed a second opinion after that. No offense to the poster who presented it, I just don't take unsourced information at face value, especially when presented by a fiction writer's help site.

reply to post by EViLKoNCEPTz


Greetings my friend.

But who would need to shut him up?
by the sounds of it, the buck stopped at him, he was at the top of the chain.

Now, if it was the excavator operator that committed suicide then it could be suspicious, as he could lay the blame on the boss in front of the grand jury.

When this first happened I expressed my surprise that the conspiracy theorist community hadn't jumped on it straight away.

Looks like I just had to wait a little longer...

reply to post by AlphaHawk


Someone who paid him off to pass the building inspection on their property. Someone who asked him to look the other way just this once. Any number of people responsible for that buildings maintenance that he could point to and say, "so and so paid me not to say anything about this building being unsafe". The buck doesn't stop at the building inspector at all, there are other people who are responsible for the buildings condition who may have not wanted to endure the costs of repair and thought it cheaper to bribe the inspector. Since the building collapsed the damage was extensive and structural which would have been expensive to repair or forced their building to be condemned.

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


Nothing suspicious here, the guy was incompetent and negligent and got people killed. He did however have a conscious and did the reasonable thing to appease it.

reply to post by EViLKoNCEPTz


My friend, the building was being demolished. I can't see your scenarios working on a building being demolished.