Here's what happens to you if you try to blow the whistle on steroid usage in the NFL

[Bill Dungsroman]

You and your girlfriend get two in the back of your heads. (http://www.wfaa.com/sharedcontent/dws/wfaa/latestnews/stories/wfaa080605_wz_jacobs.157e3e1.html)

Yikes.

[charmtrap]

Or it coulda been cops:


He also accused officers in five cities of using steroids. Jacobs said several Plano police officers stole money and steroids from his home during a raid.


Creepy.

[Bill Dungsroman]

Holy shit this guy was an idiot. Who else did he accuse, the CIA?

[Kunikos]

Yeah, I have to imagine it would be the police rather than the football players.

[jpinard]

Yeah, I have to imagine it would be the police rather than the football players.

Nowadays you never know. Hope the FBI is running the investigation and not the local police.

[VegasRobb]

Yeah, I was a bit taken aback by the headline and the story when I saw it on Yahoo Sports. Usually that's something you only read about in books. It seems like lots of people were looking to get with him.

[Tom Ohle]

Yeah, I have to imagine it would be the police rather than the football players.

You're right. Football played -- particularly those on the Falcons, as mentioned in the article -- are well known for being upstanding citizens.

[Jaysun]

Why would cops be dressed like this?


Undercover narcotics officers wearing black ski masks and sunglasses were seen removing evidence from the home.

[Alan Dunkin]

Yeah well it also turns out he committed suicide.

PLANO — Thursday's death of convicted steroids dealer David Jacobs has been ruled a suicide by the Dallas County Medical Examiner's office.

An autopsy showed there were two self-inflicted gunshot wounds — one to the abdomen, the other to the head.

There is still no official cause of death for the woman who was found dead alongside Jacobs, Amanda Jo Earhart-Savell, 30. The bodies were found in Jacobs' Plano home on Thursday.

Plano police Officer Andrae Smith said it may take several days before they know exactly what happened to Earhart-Savell, but can't assume that it was a homicide.

Jacobs, 35, admitted selling steroids to professional football players. He recently met with NFL investigators and gave them names.

Why would cops be dressed like this?

Gee I dunno, maybe because they're undercover narcotics officers???

--- Alan

[jpinard]

I'd want a second opnion on that result. He'd already been outed and the rough stuff was behind him. Why kill himself now?

[Rimbo]

Doesn't mean shit.

I mean, what guy commits suicide by shooting himself once in the abdomen, and then for good measure, another time in the head? I've never been shot, but I understand it isn't quite like the movies. You're not so likely to get two shots off that way.

I'll tell you what happened. The coroner took one look at this, thought of his wife and kids safe and sound at home, and decided he'd like to keep things that way. He may have even had some helpful "advice" in this regard.

Call in the FBI to clear up this shit.

[Alan Dunkin]

Of course, because it's always a big conspiracy.

If you get shot in the stomach, it'll take a long time to bleed out. It's not instantaneous or anything.

--- Alan

Edit: as for why, he's publicly stated that he's having serious problems getting a business back together and getting any kind of clients. Plus it's been really hard for him since he decided to cooperate. Easy way out maybe?

[Ephraim]

The question remains: Why would someone looking to kill themselves shoot themselves in the abdomen? It's a long way from the head, and isn't really known to be a pain-free and immediately fatal area.

Very, very strange.

[VictoriaWong]

They didn't finish reading the description of hara-kiri?

Edit: that was supposed to be facetious. Since the ritual is A. tear your guts out B. have your friend behead you.

[Sol Invictus]

I don't buy it. Why would anyone shoot themselves in the stomach in order to commit suicide? The stomach is the most painful place you could ever get shot, worse even than the kneecaps. This isn't some Samurai seppuku ritual whereby a warrior honorably tears his guts out in order to create the most suffering he can for himself in order to wash away his shame.

Men normally shoot themselves in the head, while women usually shoot themselves in the heart. That's if they decide to use a gun at all and not sleeping pills or a razor blade. So why would this guy shoot himself in the stomach? It makes no sense.

[Jakub]

Why would you ever, ever look to shoot yourself in the gut? I mean, is there a slower, more painful way to die?

This stinks.

[Sol Invictus]

Shooting yourself is pretty much the most painful way a person can die. Don't know how true that actually is, but it's one of those 'well known facts' that you hear every now and again in movies and TV shows where some character gets shot or stabbed in the stomach.

Beyond that, it's also pretty easy to imagine how painful it would be: Just recall your worst ever stomach ache and multiply the pain by a thousand percent from the perforation of the bullet all throughout your gut (rather than just one specific location), and add the pain from all the gunpowder burns to the affected area, and you've got one hell of a pain cocktail.

I'd imagine that anyone who watches any amount of TV would be knowledgeable of this fact, and barring that, he'd still be able to imagine how much it would hurt compared to simply shooting himself in the head.

This whole situation is fishy.

[Unicorn McGriddle]

Shooting yourself is pretty much the most painful way a person can die.

I seriously doubt that this is even remotely true.

[Coca Cola Zero]

Of course, because it's always a big conspiracy.

I'm usually very anti-conspiracy-theory, but between the DC Madam thing (which I was on the fence about in terms of whether I thought it was actually fishy or not) and this incident (which I just simply don't buy, period), I'm starting to believe the hot new fad for getting away with murder is just to get someone with some authority to say the target killed themselves.

At this rate, in 3 months I expect to hear about the suicide of some guy who had information on people with power/authority who decided to shoot himself in the back 3 times.

[Killzig]

I seriously doubt that this is even remotely true.
I think he's talking specifically about gut shots.

[Skorin]

I seriously doubt that this is even remotely true.

I think he meant to say "Shooting yourself in the stomach is pretty much the most painful way a person can die."

At least, I hope so.

Edit - Damn you, Killzig!

[Stroker Ace]

Looks like he found a stranger in the alps.

[Jonathan Crane]

Looks like he found a stranger in the alps.

This is what happens.

[Alan Dunkin]

Tidbits from an updated story:

The medical examiner's initial report shows he died of two self-inflicted gunshot wounds to his stomach and head. Plano police said Ms. Earhart-Savell had multiple gunshot wounds, but the medical examiner's office has not confirmed manner or time of death. The investigation continues.

...

Mr. Jacobs never filed an internal affairs complaint with the department after he claimed an officer swiped $4,500 in cash from his house during an April 2007 raid. Several police agencies, including Plano police and federal agents, were present when the search warrant was executed.

...

People who know the couple say that Mr. Jacobs was jealous and possessive of Ms. Earhart-Savell. Mr. Jacobs had previously told The Dallas Morning News that their nearly yearlong relationship had been marred by allegations of cheating by both of them.

Officer Smith said investigators have not shared pieces of the case with public information officers. But he added that, to his knowledge, the couple had not threatened each other with harm.

It was a preliminary report, btw, but I can't help but think they'd make such an astonishing decision (the stomach and head part) without knowing something extra.

Or it could be that... everyone is in on the big worldwide conspiracy.

--- Alan

[Bill Dungsroman]

Jesus, Alan. Nobody tries to kill themselves by shooting themselves in the stomach. I'm not saying it was a big operation orchestrated by the Texas PD/NFL/FBI secret junta, but come on.

[cheapfilms]

Maybe he accidentally shot himself in the stomach while goofing around. And, then wanted to end the terrible pain?

[Angie Gallant]

You know, the mother of the current head of Scientology was found dead from three rifle rounds to the chest and one to the head. And that was ruled a suicide too.

[Rimbo]

Of course, because it's always a big conspiracy.

If you get shot in the stomach, it'll take a long time to bleed out. It's not instantaneous or anything.

Yes, but it hurts like hell, would probably put the body into a state of shock, and for other various reasons makes it extremely difficult to get off a second shot.

And you don't even need to believe any damned conspiracy theory, either. You just need a coroner who -- all on his own, if you want -- takes one look at the body, makes one conclusion, realizes he has everything to lose and little to gain from the truth, and writes down a different conclusion.

[Alan Dunkin]

Everything to lose from... what, exactly? Oh, I get it now... the coroner was taking steroids. That's a new one, but I dig it.

--- Alan

[Machfive]

Everything to lose from... what, exactly? Oh, I get it now... the coroner was taking steroids. That's a new one, but I dig it.

--- Alan

Or maybe the coroner was paid off by the same dirty cops he was about to finger.

Or hell, maybe the drug dealers he was buying from were afraid they'd get named and they threatened to kill the coroner's grammy if it wasn't ruled a suicide.

[jpinard]

Or maybe the coroner was paid off by the same dirty cops he was about to finger.

Or hell, maybe the drug dealers he was buying from were afraid they'd get named and they threatened to kill the coroner's grammy if it wasn't ruled a suicide.

10 years ago I'd think that was crazy talk. In today's world it seems all too possible. But I'd think it was more of a bribe-type-dealio than a threat: http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/06/06/crane.inspector.ap/index.html

[Alan Dunkin]

PLANO — Court documents show police found illegal steroids in the house of David Jacobs. The convicted steroids dealer was found dead inside his home Thursday. His girlfriend was also shot and killed. Now Plano police say Jacobs shot his girlfriend, and then turned the gun on himself.

An autopsy showed there were two self-inflicted gunshot wounds — one to the abdomen, the other to the head.

Amanda Jo Earhart-Savell, 30, was found dead alongside Jacobs. Police revealed that both bodies were found in the master bedroom of Jacobs' house. They found a gun next to Jacobs' body. The gun was a Glock, .40 caliber, semi-automatic.

Court documents show that police found 10 expended bullet casings, 6 expended slugs, and 1 bullet fragment inside Jacob's house.

Jacobs, 35, admitted selling steroids to professional football players. He recently met with NFL investigators and gave them names. According to court documents, it looks like he didn't give up his operation of manufacturing steroids.

A return on a Plano police search warrant shows what else officers found in Jacobs' house: 146 vials of steroids, 10 syringes, scales, bags with steroids and marijuana, a computer, and a .22 semi-automatic gun with ammunation were all taken as evidence.

The medical examiner has not done an autopsy on Earhart-Savell yet, but police say she had multiple gunshot wounds. "Our investigation is consistent with murder-suicide," said Adre Smith, Plano spokeman.

--- Alan

[Stroker Ace]

Is that supposed to shore up your case, Alan? It still looks freaky as hell and then at the end the ME says "definitely a murder-suicide".

[Mordrak]

Perhaps there was a struggle and that's how he got shot in the gut. That's about the only thing I can think of.

[Brandon Clements]

Ah, the 'shot himself twice with a shotgun then threw himself off the balcony' theory of suicide.

[jpinard]

--- Alan

So I guess an outside shooter couldn't have used the couple's gun and left it at the house? That's totally impossible? Someone shooting at close range would produce those exact same results.

Sure it could turn out to be the correct outcome as listed, but this process seems totally wrong. You can't possibly auto-rule this a suicide without proper detective work.

Also,
Jacobs said life wasn't easy after he decided to work with authorities to expose steroid abuse in the NFL and police department. "People know where I live," he said. "I've already had death threats."

[Alan Dunkin]

I'm not trying to shore up anything. I'm providing general information that is pertinent. Whether or not it shores up my argument is beside the point.

--- Alan

[jfletch]

No one can seriously believe this is a suicide. Think about it this way, lets say it was done by a hired gun, the hired gun would probably try to make it look like a suicide. Would this be the end result?

It's ridiculous.

[Bill Dungsroman]

I'm not trying to shore up anything. I'm providing general information that is pertinent. Whether or not it shores up my argument is beside the point.

--- Alan

Oh, Alan.

[Sol Invictus]

So he had a brief struggle with himself before shooting himself once in the gut and once in the head. That's totally consistent with a murder suicide.

[Rimbo]

Everything to lose from... what, exactly? Oh, I get it now... the coroner was taking steroids. That's a new one, but I dig it.

--- Alan

Uhm, no. You're just being dense on purpose now.

[Omniscia]

Perhaps the real suicide was the simple act of opening his mouth on this subject in the first place.

[Rimbo]

Or maybe the coroner was paid off by the same dirty cops he was about to finger.

Or hell, maybe the drug dealers he was buying from were afraid they'd get named and they threatened to kill the coroner's grammy if it wasn't ruled a suicide.

"Coroners in the United States are usually county-level officers, are often elected (rather than appointed) officials, and usually do not need to hold any medical qualification. As finders of fact, they retain quasi-judicial powers such as the power of subpoena, and in some states they also have the power to impanel juries of inquest, but unlike their British equivalents, they are not judicial officers, instead considered to be executive branch officials." -- Wikipedia entry on "Coroner"

Might not have even needed to make any such threat. The coroner might simply have found something and, based on what he found, figured that it was best for his career and his family's safety if he ruled it suicide. The coroner didn't take his job because he wanted to stick his neck out; he's a politician, who got elected on a "get tough on crime" stance and/or closet necrophilia.

It's noble to believe folks like this are going to be just and tell the truth all the time, but coroners have lots of reasons to make shit up sometimes. If you witness a mob hit, it's best to say you didn't see nothin' and weren't there.