More than 20 years after Hunter S. Thompson's death inside his home in Woody Creek, Colorado was ruled a suicide, his widow has prompted state authorities to review the case.
Michael Ochs Archive/Getty ImagesHunter S. Thompson died from a gunshot to the head at his Colorado home on February 20, 2005.
Twenty years after it was ruled a suicide, gonzo writer Hunter S. Thompson’s death is being reviewed by Colorado authorities at the request of his widow, Anita Thompson.
The Colorado Bureau of Investigation clarified that there is no new evidence to suggest foul play was involved in Thompson’s death, instead saying that the inquiry from an outside agency should “provide a definitive and transparent review that may offer peace of mind to his family and the public,” in the words of Colorado Sheriff Michael Buglione.
The Legendary Work And Untimely Death Of Hunter S. Thompson
Born in Kentucky in 1937, Hunter S. Thompson remains a literary icon to this day for his “gonzo” style of writing both in his journalism and his novels. Unlike in traditional reporting, Thompson often placed himself at the center of a story, writing about his subjects from a first-person perspective and taking an active role in the narrative. His writing often featured elements of satire, hyperbole, and social critique.
His most famous work, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, first serialized in Rolling Stone in 1971, represents the apotheosis of his style and provides a searing commentary on the failure of the 1960s counterculture. The novel was famously adapted into a film of the same name starring Johnny Depp in 1998.
Rose Hartman/Getty ImagesHunter S. Thompson and Johnny Depp became good friends, to the point that Depp even lived with Thompson for a time in the 1990s.
Thompson’s other notable works include Hell’s Angels: The Strange and Terrible Saga of the Outlaw Motorcycle Gangs and Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail ’72. Throughout his career, Thompson cultivated a persona defined by a love of firearms, a disdain for authority, and a well-documented use of alcohol and illicit drugs as part of his daily routine.
However, those closest to him would later speculate that his substance abuse ultimately helped fuel his depression, frequently making him suicidal. On February 20, 2005, at the age of 67, Hunter S. Thompson died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound inside his home in Woody Creek, Colorado.
That day, Thompson called his wife and asked her to come back and help him with his new column. As she hung up, she heard a click that she assumed was the sound of his typewriter keys — but was in fact the cocking of his gun.
Just then, according to the police report, Thompson put the gun to his head and fired. His visiting daughter-in-law and grandson were in the next room, but they too mistook the sound they’d just heard, and it wasn’t until an hour later that Thompson’s son went in and found the body.
According to his wife, he had been suffering from numerous health problems and had been contemplating suicide. “He feels at the peak of his life right now, has a very successful career, has a network of perfect friends,” she told the Associated Press at the time. “If he quit now, he would feel he was a champion.”
His notoriously unusual funeral, funded by his friend Johnny Depp, involved firing his ashes from a cannon in a star-studded ceremony as a final, characteristically flamboyant act.
The New Investigation Into Hunter S. Thompson’s Death Seeks To Answer “Lingering Questions”
Paul Harris/Getty ImagesHunter S. Thompson shooting at his Colorado ranch.
Now, at the urging of his widow, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation is undertaking a case review of Hunter S. Thompson’s death.
While no new evidence has come to light to suggest that someone other than Thompson himself was involved in his death, the new review will seek to answer any “lingering questions” surrounding Thompson’s demise, Buglione said.
“We understand the profound impact Hunter S. Thompson had on this community and beyond,” he added. “By bringing in an outside agency for a fresh look, we hope to provide a definitive and transparent review that may offer peace of mind to his family and the public.”
As of now, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation has announced that they’ve found no evidence of foul play.
Officials also noted that they do not have a timeline for the new investigation into Thompson’s death but would provide an update once it is complete.
After reading about this new investigation into the death of Hunter S. Thompson, read about the mysterious disappearance of his friend Oscar Zeta Acosta. Then, read the story of Sonny Barger, the face of the Hells Angels.
