I'll tell you something. My brother committed suicide several years ago. He had a beautiful wife, 3 great boys, a wonderful home with a beautiful pool. He had a loving family on both sides, and he was by all accounts a very happy person. The night that I got the call that he was gone, like the Sherman kids, I was adamant that something nefarious had happened to him. I'd likely still believe that if he hadn't left a number of letters. What I am saying is that sometimes things happen that you just can't explain, and that sometimes you really don't know a person no matter how close you are. Now if my brother hadn't left notes and I had unlimited funds, I could have put together my own investigation team and I could have used the press to further my story, but I would have been wrong wouldn't I? I know how they feel, but no matter what they say or what their friends and colleagues say, I know more than probably anybody here that they are likely wrong.
I'm not hostile at the Sherman children, but I believe by now they are probably aware of what the truth might be. Their own investigation seems to be all but done, cops have all but given up, no rewards, no pleas for clues or witnesses, and basically nothing from the media. I think that their investigation was nothing more than a PR campaign.
Andrew, I send my sincere condolences to you on your brother's suicide.
Your personal experience with his suicide, and how you initially would never believe that he would do it, is an understandable and a common reaction, as you have noted. I have read that many shocked loved ones later reflect on missing signs leading up to the suicide. This obviously was not your perception in your brother's case.
But your experience in being shocked and initially thinking something nefarious happened, and then discovering that your brother actually did die by suicide, leaving notes, does not make every suspected suicide case the same as yours. Apparent suicides with no notes have to be investigated thoroughly to rule out homicide, and I'm sure you agree.
We were both active in Jeffrey Boucher's thread when he disappeared after a morning jog. I remember that you were adamant from the very beginning that he had committed suicide despite any evidence to support that theory, and even before his body washed up on the lake shore. His wife joined WS to share her thoughts and ask for help. After the forensic autopsy and toxicology tests were completed, police determined that it was an accidental drowning, which you never accepted because you were sure that he had died by suicide.
I think that with your horrible experience, and with LE's apparent initial M/S theory, it was enough to cement the suicide aspect in your mind. You may be right about M/S, but you may be wrong, and I wonder if your personal tragedy may have affected your judgement so that you can't even consider anything other than a suicide involvement.
You said that you would have wanted to hire private investigators if your brother hadn't left suicide letters. Yet you condemn the Sherman kids for doing the same thing that you would have done, but call their actions merely a PR campaign.
Andrew, I respect you and I know that you are sincere..this is just food for thought and MOO.