Eco-Defense Arrestee Bill Rodgers Found Dead in Cell in Arizona

Any signs of struggle on his body--bruises, etc.? Any independent autopsy?

I am grateful for the person he was, even though I never met him. I am thankful that people are standing up for the earth, and the acts with which Bill was accused of should be an inspiration to us all.

This breaks my heart. He wanted to die free rather than a life in a cage.

Last time I checked they don't let you bring anything into a jail cell with you, especially when your facing possible felony conviction. Which begs the question, How did Bill Rodgers get the plastic bag into the cell with him (there is no waste basket)? And on top of that how does somebody go about killing themselves with a plastic bag, being able to apply enough pressure to suffocate oneselve. Just look at the Seattle Times article(seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2002700316_suicide23m.html) that paints the portrait of a sex offender while quoting Rodger's defense attorney towards the very end about Rodger's "high principles". This is almost identical to the kind of sensationalist manipulation of news that was used to counter previous revolutionary groups deemed a terrorist threat by the government. If I am right, why would the FBI (insert other scary gov't agencies here) kill Bill Rodger's? This percieved suicide will be percieved by the public as an admission of guilt and therefore damage the credibility of other's who are being indicted. Is it so impossible to believe that agencies acting on behalf of the government are capable of "neutralizing" a "threat" by simply framing one murder as suicide. Before they could justify their actions against groups like the Black panthers and AIM as a measure self-defense (oxymoronic considering they were encroaching upon these groups instead of vice versa, unjustifiable in my mind), now the public relations battle is a little more tricky when the people under question are less interested in taking human life (not to say that panthers and aim were, they just had more guns) and more interested in desroying property.

I think it's pretty obvious to say that he was murdered.

The "war on terrorism" is expanding, people...

In regards to someone's comments on the Seattle Time's article's spin...

Before people go using terms like "sex offender", please keep in mind that there have been people previously been charged under kiddie porn laws for having nude photos of *their own kids* bathing or running around being wee naked hippies. (I wish I could recall the case details, but it was essentially just government harassment.) While none of us endorse the real sexual exploitation of children, it benefits no one to speculate about whatever the police claim was found in Bill's home.

At a Friday detention hearing, an FBI agent testified that investigators found child pornography in Bill's home at the time of his arrest. This was done by the FBI agent to demonstrate Bill's criminal nature. Later, the FBI explained in detail that they had discovered only "two digital photos of nude, prepubescent girls." They did not say that children were in a sexual context, only that they were not clothed, which is not illegal. Local Arizona newspapers reported that Bill possessed "child pornography," which, although very far from being proven, would considerably weaken the strong public support that Bill had in the area

see  http://bombsandshields.blogspot.com/

people who are into kiddie porn don't have just two photos. They have reams of the stuff and trade it back and forth etc.

Please address all future correspondence to:

Bill Rodgers
Central Furnace Pit
Eco-terrorist extra-crispy section
Hell

Save the Planet. Kill youself.

We'll follow your lead ... we promise.

I think it would be just as easy to kill yourself by holding your breath.
Nuff said.
But seriously, folks, to elaborate,
How many people in history have killed themselves with plastic bags over their heads?
Anyone have any other examples?
Obviously children who haven't the strength nor the sharp nails it takes to rip through a plastic bag are in danger if they get their head in a bag. A young child's dexterity and experience may not enable him to remove the bag. But a full-grown man . . . Geez. I think a guy like Bill would not be fazed by being thrown in jail. He must know all about that. If he were innocent, then as an activist, he would fight for his own cause as a part of the main cause he believes in... So he must have either been guilty and EXCEPTIONALLY strong-willed, or he was murdered.

It is quite possible that Mr. Rodgers died of self-asphyxiation, which is a relatively painless form of suicide, much like placing one's head in the oven, or running the car engine in a sealed garage. Mr. Rodgers could have placed an airtight shopping bag over his head and sealed it around his neck with a knot. After a few minutes he would pass out from hypoxia, or lack of oxygen, and, if the bag remained sealed over his head long enough, he would eventually die of carbon dioxide poisoning (asphyxiation). This process takes a long time, so he probably would have chosen a time late at night when no one was looking in on him. If he were on suicide watch this scenario would be impossible. An independent autopsy would confirm whether there were signs of a struggle, and blood toxicity tests would prove whether there is adrenalin and lactic acid in his bloodstream, indicating a "fight" response at the time of death.