Hanged Census Worker Had "Fed" on Chest

Bill Sparkman was an Eagle Scout and a substitute teacher. He also worked part-time for the Census. Authorities found his body hanging from a tree on Sept. 12 in a remote area of a national forest. According to a law enforcement official, he had the word fed scrawled on his chest, although the AP's source wouldn't specify what kind of instrument was used to carry out the horrifying act, and his family has received little information. Now the FBI is investigating whether he was killed because he worked for the government. Sparkman's truck was nearby, and a computer he used for work was found inside the truck. He usually conducted interviews for the Census about once or twice a month. The Census Bureau has stopped conducting door-to-door interviews in Clay County, where the body was found. The news is particularly troubling considering that the Census Bureau is getting ready to send 1.2 million temporary employees to the field next year to track down people who don't fill in their forms.  

Read original story in The Associated Press | Thursday, Sept. 24, 2009