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Sean Hoare's 'Unexplained' Death Reminds Me of David Ferrie's Death!

By John Kays

"I 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." Sean Hoare to the Guardian

What's the likelihood that Sean Hoare would die of natural causes (at the age of 47) just when the NoW scandal was blowing up and just when Sean was going public with more graft on how the hacking (at NoW) worked? While it is true his health was dodgy, it's also true in his last days he was paranoid and thought the government was out to get him.

Sean Hoare was found dead in his flat in Herfordshire at 10:40 AM on Monday, July 18th. The investigation of his death by the Herfordshire police has the appearance of competence, in light of the high-profile nature of this former reporter for News of the World. No suicide note was left, but suicide hasn't been ruled out entirely. Some lengthy toxicology examinations are still pending.

These tests may contain the true cause of death. Sean's run in with drugs and alcohol are widely known. He didn't even try to hide it. Some claim he had taken the straight and narrow lately, longing to rejuvenate his shattered career in journalism. Nonetheless, the Daily Mail just reported he looked yellow in color and may have been hitting the bottle again.

But what was causing these mental health issues, this paranoia that someone was out to get him? Well, just look at all the people who are getting arrested! Freelance journalist Terenia Taras was arrested for phone hacking in late June. Neil Wallis, a former executive editor at News of the World, was arrested on June 14th. On the 17th Rebekah Brooks herself is arrested.

Yea, not just called in to testify to Parliament, but arrested. So, perhaps Sean had good reason in his constantly checking the blinds to see if someone was coming to get him. But that doesn't mean he would kill himself. Just last week Sean had been talking to the New York Times again, fleshing out how some of these phone scams would work.

Specifically, he explained how NoW would bribe the police to get information, via mobile phone signals, on the whereabouts of some celebrity or royal. This is known as 'pinging,' where you can detect the exact location of an individual from their cell phone. Actually, Sean (or reporters) would ring up a 'news desk executive' at NoW, and 15 to 30 minutes later they would call in the info to Hoare.

Another missing link is the extent to which Hoare had been implicating former NoW Editor Andy Coulson in the hacking scandal. Sean had told the NYTimes last September that Coulson had 'actively encouraged' the hacking. Andy Coulson claims he knew nothing about the hacking, but Mr. Hoare says these denials are 'simply a lie.'

An extension of this cross-testimony amongst old colleagues (both culpable for the follies of tabloid journalism), is the possibility that Hoare was afraid of Coulson, who might want to exact some type of retribution. I'm sure this lead is under examination. Last night, as I tried to go asleep, I thought of David Ferrie's death on February 22nd, 1967. David Ferrie knew a little too much about Lee Oswald and JFK's 'unexplained' death.

Just as Jim Garrison was blowing the lid on the 'New Orleans connection,' David Ferrie was getting mighty itchy and all bothered. "You know what this news story does to me, don't you? I'm a dead man. From here on, believe me, I'm a dead man." In the days leading up to his death, his behavior resembles Sean Hoare's paranoid behavior. Moreover, the coroner said Ferrie died of 'natural causes,' even though two suicide notes were left at his apartment.

John Kays identifies timeless remnants from our past that will endure, or be admired by future generations.