Feds Probe Hanging Of Kentucky Census Worker

[Richard]

Can be a dangerous place to be wandering around if your SA is poor - we stumbled upon a few areas like this while moving cross-country at night in South Georgia and along the Carolina coastal areas.

And so it goes...

Richard's $.02

Feds Probe Hanging Of Kentucky Census Worker
NPR, 24 Sep 2009

When Bill Sparkman told retired trooper Gilbert Acciardo that he was going door-to-door collecting census data in rural Kentucky, the former police officer drew on years of experience for a warning: "Be careful."

The 51-year-old Sparkman was found this month hanged from a tree near a cemetery with the word "fed" scrawled on his chest, a law enforcement official said Wednesday, and the FBI is investigating whether he was the victim of anti-government sentiment.

The law enforcement official, who was not authorized to discuss the case and requested anonymity, did not say what type of instrument was used to write the word on the chest of Sparkman, who was supplementing his income doing Census field work. He was found Sept. 12 in a remote patch of Daniel Boone National Forest and an autopsy report is pending.

"Even though he was with the Census Bureau, sometimes people can view someone with any government agency as 'the government.' I just was afraid that he might meet the wrong character along the way up there," said Acciardo, who directs an after-school program at an elementary school where Sparkman was a frequent substitute teacher.

The Census Bureau has suspended door-to-door interviews in rural Clay County, where the body was found, until the investigation is complete, an official said.

Police said the area has a history of drug trouble including methamphetamine trafficking and marijuana growing in its forested valleys between steep hills and ridges.

"That part of the county, it has its ups and downs. We'll get a lot of complaints of drug activity," said Manchester Police Chief Jeff Culver. He said officers last month rounded up 40 drug suspects, mostly dealers, and made several more arrests in subsequent days.

Dee Davis, president of the Center for Rural Strategies in Whitesburg in southeastern Kentucky, said Clay County is impoverished and has a "pretty wild history of a black market economy, a drug economy."

"I don't think there is any deep-seated hatred of government there," he said. "Government is not seen as the enemy, except for people who might fear getting caught for what they're doing."

Davis said it was a dangerous time of year for someone to go knocking on doors because marijuana producers are typically harvesting their crop. "It would be reckless."

"Things can go bad really quickly," Davis said. "There are places that you would not send a Census worker this time of year."

Manchester, a town of about 2,000 that is the county's main hub, is an exit off the highway, with a Wal-Mart, a few hotels, chain restaurants and a couple gas stations. The drive from town toward the area where Sparkman's body was found winds through sparsely populated forest with no streetlights.

FBI spokesman David Beyer said the bureau is assisting state police and declined to discuss any details of the crime scene. Agents are trying to determine if foul play was involved and whether it had anything to do with Sparkman's job as Census worker, Beyer said. Attacking a federal worker during or because of his federal job is a federal crime.

Lucindia Scurry-Johnson, assistant director of the Census Bureau's southern office in Charlotte, N.C., said law enforcement officers have told the agency the matter is "an apparent homicide" but nothing else.

Census employees were told Sparkman's truck was found nearby, and a computer he was using for work was inside, she said.

Gov. Steve Beshear expressed his condolences to Sparkman's family.

"The Medical Examiner's office is awaiting test results to determine cause of death, and once a cause and manner have been established, state police will focus their investigation in the appropriate direction," Beshear said in a statement.

Sparkman's mother, Henrie Sparkman of Inverness, Fla., told The Associated Press her son was an Eagle Scout who moved to Kentucky to direct the local Boy Scouts of America. He later became a substitute teacher in Laurel County, adjacent to the county where his body was found.

She said investigators have given her few details about her son's death. They did tell her his body was decomposed and haven't yet released it for burial.

"I was told it would be better for him to be cremated," she said.

Acciardo said he became suspicious and went to police when Sparkman didn't show up for work at the after-school program in Laurel County for two days. Authorities immediately investigated, he said.

"He was such an innocent person," Acciardo said. "I hate to say that he was naive, but he saw the world as all good, and there's a lot of bad in the world."

Sparkman had worked for the Census since 2003 in five counties in the surrounding area, conducting interviews once or twice a month. Much of his recent work had been in Clay County, officials said.

The Census Bureau, which is overseen by the Commerce Department, has yet to begin door-to-door canvassing for the 2010 head count, but thousands of field workers are doing smaller surveys on various demographic topics on behalf of federal agencies. Next year, the Census Bureau will dispatch up to 1.2 million temporary employees to locate hard-to-find residents.

For now, Sparkman's mother is waiting for answers.

"I have my own ideas, but I can't say them out loud. Not at this point," she said. "Right now, what I'm doing, I'm just waiting on the FBI to come to some conclusion."

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/s...ryId=113177563

[Red Flag 1]

I had a very interesting conversation with a census worker this past Monday, my next door neighbor in fact. She related that for the most part, folks are pleasant and well mannered. There are a few counties here in Virginia;however I will not name them, where census workers have been threatened, chased off property, and shot at. In that folks have been shot at, I was not so shocked to learn of this fatality. That it was a hanging is a bit more sinister.

Being chased off property, and being shot at are a means of sending the message," stay the hell away, government man/woman!". Hanging a census worker brings more into the picture. The hanged person was punished. That the person was left hanging sends a message; rather clear one at that. Have we gotten to the point where census workers need to be accompanied by LE? I know there are times and places where EMS will not go without a LE presence.

I guess my point is that we take the mundane job of census workers for granted. Nice safe job for a short time, earn some bucks, provide government number crunchers something to chew on. Think again! I was not shocked to learn of the hostility; the degree of hostility did wake me up a bit. The person I was talking to is a Masters prepared mother of two who has been out of the job market for some time, and she has been threatened.

My prayers are out for the Sparkman family, as well as census takers caught unaware!!



RF 1

[ZonieDiver]

Having worked as a census worker for a total of almost 3 years between 1990 and 2000 on a variety of census operations culminating in Census2000, and having occupied every census office job field job from enumerator to assistant manager for field operations, I can echo RedFlag's comments. Census workers have a thankless, usually mundane, job that can take them to areas of potential risk. Said workers are often very lacking in SA, and Census training often soft-soaps such dangers - and hurriedly covers them.

Even in Phoenix, AZ there are areas where my enumerators refused to go - especially alone. I dealt with such areas by using "sweeps" - putting two or more Crew Leader's groups together, training them specifically, going over maps, planning, (coordinating with local LE - even when NOT supposed to do so), and then moving in and out swiftly. I was very fortunate to have a large population of retired military personnel from whom to draw FOS (field operations supervisors) CL (crew leaders), and CLA (crew leader assistant). It was very frequently a struggle with "higher headquarters" to adequately, and safely staff. Sometimes you just had to do it - no matter what they said - and deal with the consequences later. (One of my FOS's was a retired MSG who said I ran our Local Census Office like a TOC. I took it as a compliment! )

I still have PTSD from my census experience. As my LCO Manager (who had spent his career working for Maricopa County) said while we wound down in Census2000 - "Never again will I work for the 'Feds'!"

(I never imagined I'd have Census Bureau "war stories"!!! - "No shit, there I was - surrounded by homeless and down to my last sharpened penciil, when..." )

[The Reaper]

I was stationed in Puerto Rico for the 2000 Census.

When the census worker came, I informed her that I was an English speaker, and preferred to be questioned in English.

She refused, and went away. Never saw her, or another census rep again.

I found this incredible, given the US government effort to collect census info in the US in pretty much any language the user preferred.

I guess they didn't really want my input.

TR

[ZonieDiver]

Originally Posted by The Reaper

I was stationed in Puerto Rico for the 2000 Census.

When the census worker came, I informed her that I was an English speaker, and preferred to be questioned in English.

She refused, and went away. Never saw her, or another census rep again.

I found this incredible, given the US government effort to collect census info in the US in pretty much any language the user preferred.

I guess they didn't really want my input.

TR

No, "they" did! It is just that "they" hire some real idiots. In the 1995 Special Census in Phoenix, they "forced" unemployed people to take the enumerator jobs - or not get their unemployment checks. There was rampant fraud - sitting at a kitchen table, making up data - in Phoenix. It was good for me because I got to work an additional three months - cleaning up all the crap.

[stickey]

we stumbled upon a few areas like this while moving cross-country at night in South Georgia and along the Carolina coastal areas.

There are a few counties here in Virginia;however I will not name them

Uh oh, this might hurt.

These two places have been home at one point and I would go back in heart beat. Curiosity is eating me up to know what areas of which Carolina coast and which counties in VA.

Any hints?

[Richard]

...what areas of which Carolina coast...

Area between I-95 and coastline from Norfolk to Myrtle Beach.

Richard's $.02

[stickey]

Originally Posted by Richard

Area between I-95 and coastline from Norfolk to Myrtle Beach.

Richard's $.02

Your north and south limits are enough to give reason.

[ZonieDiver]

Originally Posted by Richard

Area between I-95 and coastline from Norfolk to Myrtle Beach.

Richard's $.02

What?!? Did you have trouble when you stopped at one of the "Starvin' Marvin's" in that AO?

[Richard]

What?!? Did you have trouble when you stopped at one of the "Starvin' Marvin's" in that AO?

Running an E&E net in that AO can be an iffy proposition.

Richard's $.02

[ZonieDiver]

Heck, everytime I visit the "Starvin' Marvin" nearest my brother's home in the far outskirts of Greensboro, NC - I hear banjo music. And I try NOT to smile! Or squeal!

[Richard]

Heck, everytime I visit the "Starvin' Marvin" nearest my brother's home in the far outskirts of Greensboro, NC - I hear banjo music. And I try NOT to smile! Or squeal!

Yeah - and that's inland - best to stay away from the coastal marsh areas.

Richard's $.02

[greenberetTFS]

I read in todays paper that they are considering the possibility he may have committed suicide!!!! His hands,mouth and legs were wrapped in duck tape and with a felt pen was written "fed" across his chest..... He was also totally naked with his census ID tag taped on him and he was hanging from a tree!!! My point is this,who the hell do they think we would possibly believe that $hit....

Big Teddy

[Red Flag 1]

Originally Posted by stickey

Uh oh, this might hurt.

These two places have been home at one point and I would go back in heart beat. Curiosity is eating me up to know what areas of which Carolina coast and which counties in VA.

Any hints?

West of I-81, West on 33.

RF 1

[Red Flag 1]

Originally Posted by greenberetTFS

I read in todays paper that they are considering the possibility he may have committed suicide!!!! His hands,mouth and legs were wrapped in duck tape and with a felt pen was written "fed" across his chest..... He was also totally naked with his census ID tag taped on him and he was hanging from a tree!!! My point is this,who the hell do they think we would possibly believe that $hit....

Big Teddy

Suicide............................sure!

RF 1