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Hanged Census Worker Was Naked, Bound: Witness

Kentucky assailants used duct tape, gagged Bill Sparkman

By the Associated Press

Posted Sep 25, 2009 8:17 PM CDT

(AP) – A part-time US Census worker found hanging in a rural Kentucky cemetery was naked, gagged and had his hands and feet bound with duct tape, said an Ohio man who discovered the body two weeks ago. "The only thing he had on was a pair of socks," Jerry Weaver said of 51-year-old Bill Sparkman. "And they had duct-taped his hands, his wrists. He had duct tape over his eyes, and they gagged him with a red rag or something.

"And they even had duct tape around his neck. And they had like his identification tag on his neck. They had it duct-taped to the side of his neck, on the right side, almost on his right shoulder." A state police official would not confirm Weaver's description, but two people briefed on the investigation said various details of Weaver's account matched details of the crime scene.

The Kentucky cemetery near which Bill Sparkman was found hanged Sept. 12.
The Kentucky cemetery near which Bill Sparkman was found hanged Sept. 12.   (AP Photo)
Bill Sparkman is seen in a 2008 photo.
Bill Sparkman is seen in a 2008 photo.   (AP Photo)
Bill Sparkman is seen in a 2008 photo.
Bill Sparkman is seen in a 2008 photo.   (AP Photo)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 27 comments
Snarfeh
Sep 28, 2009 4:15 AM CDT
@thejoint - Yep, I generalize. I figure others have enough sense to know by now that I have enough sense to know not everyone fits the stereotype. Hence, I generalize because it saves time. I'm from an older generation, pre-internet even, and once upon a time, no one nitpicked like they do nowadays and most people knew arguing semantics was a waste of time. Therefore, no, I am not going to point out every single time I post a comment that I am aware that not everyone fits a stereotype because I expect others to have enough common sense to know that.
No_FRINGE
Sep 27, 2009 3:35 AM CDT
What about the word "FED" written on his chest? What that in the first report?
schmidtkoff
Sep 26, 2009 11:34 AM CDT
typo sorry where's...

Copyright 2012 Newser, LLC. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. AP contributed to this report.

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