There are numerous threads in this forum debating whether or not Danny Casolaro was murdered or committed suicide (and for the record, I've never believed he wasn't murdered), but one topic I don't see discussed too often is what I consider to be the most bizarre aspect of the case. At Casolaro's funeral, an African-American man in a military uniform showed up, put a medal on Casolaro's casket and saluted before walking away. After the funeral, Danny's family and friends discussed this and realized that none of them had the slightest idea who this guy was. What's even stranger is that Casolaro never actually served in the military, so the gesture of placing a medal on his casket doesn't make much sense.

I guess the obvious answer to this mystery is that the military man was a confidential informant on the "Octopus" story that Casolaro was working on, and that this gesture was his way of paying respect to Danny dying in the line of duty while trying to do the right thing. His actions resemble that of a man who's bothered by his conscience. However, if this guy was secretly working with Casolaro trying to uncover the conspiracy, he's taking a huge risk by coming to the funeral in front of all those people when he could have easily came by to leave the medal on the grave when no one else was around. Not to mention that some of the attendees at the funeral were probably from the journalism community and would be more prone to asking questions about him. I also read that he showed up in a limousine and had that unidentified man with him who looked like a Secret Service agent, so he wasn't exactly inconspicuous.

I also wonder what happened to the medal. Since no one realized the weirdness of the situation until after the funeral, I'm assuming it was buried with the casket, but I wonder if anyone's ever tried to dig it up to find out what kind of medal it was or possibly test it for DNA and fingerprints. Regardless of whether you think Casolaro was murdered or committed suicide, the appearance of the military man is just a very baffling moment.

Of course, my cynical side wonders if this guy just simply showed up at the wrong funeral by mistake :lol: . Any theories?

Its definitilely not an everyday thing for a military man to show up in a limousine at a funeral of a civillian and salute them with a medal.

I do agree that this was someone who was praising Cassalero's efforts to do the right thing and was definitely showing respect for some sort of endeavor he was undertaking.

But who it was and what his connection to the case is, we can only speculate.

I think he was Colin Powell and ended up at the wrong service.

I think he was Colin Powell and ended up at the wrong service.

I thought about that theory before, especially since the actor in the re-enactment resembles Powell. However, Powell was Chairman of the Joint Chiefs and a very well-known public figure at that time, so I'm sure someone would have recognized him. Danny's friend interviewed in the UM segment, Ann Klenk, was a CNBC producer, so I'm sure she would known Colin Powell if she saw him.

I am leaning towards the theory that the millitary man simply showed up at the wrong service. Even though Casolaro's investigation was looking at corruption in many branches of the government, I don't believe the military had any relevance to the case at all.

Wouldn't the high ranking military man have noticed the lack of a flag folded and presented to next of kin? Or the lack of a bugler? There are other branches of government that attain symbolic military ranks and there are a number of medals given to private citizens.

It could also be an example of a military man given one of his personal medals to someone as a tribute. Perhaps it was his own purple heart.

I definitely have always thought that the military man was simply at the wrong funeral. It just adds to the whole "mysticism" of the conspiracy involving the "Octopus" to assume he was their to pay his respects to Danny because he was an informant, which is probably why UM decided to use it. I understand that at a funeral it's a time for someone's loved ones to grieve and remember their recently deceased relative, but if you truely believed your brother was involved in exposing some grand government conspiracy, wouldn't you be the least bit curious who this military man was and what his business was at the funeral? IIRC, not one person question this man who put the medal on the casket, nor did anyone look at the medal.

I honestly thought you all were joking about the wrong funeral. I've never heard of anyone showing up at the wrong funeral. I mean I'm sure its happened but this guy hardly sounded like the type who would make a bungling mistake like that, he had to have some idea who he was honoring and where the funeral would be, and who the family members would be at the funeral.

And obviously someone would have recognized Colin Powell.

The fact that no one questioned him is not that unusual either. Grieving family members being that they are preoccupied with the death of a loved on are not usually in a state where they will be in an investigative mode.

If Danny Cassolero was into a lot of stuff there is no telling who that might have been, but I highly doubt he was just someone there by mistake, he hardly sounded like the type who wouldn't know whose funeral he was at.

I honestly thought you all were joking about the wrong funeral. I've never heard of anyone showing up at the wrong funeral. I mean I'm sure its happened but this guy hardly sounded like the type who would make a bungling mistake like that, he had to have some idea who he was honoring and where the funeral would be, and who the family members would be at the funeral.

I think the "showing up at the wrong funeral" might be plausible if there was another funeral going on at that particular cemetery at the same time, or there was another one scheduled there at some point that day. I don't know if it's a common practice for the military to send out a representative to attend the funerals of deceased soldiers in order to honour them by doing something like placing a medal on their casket, even though said representative may not have known the soldier personally.

The fact that no one questioned him is not that unusual either. Grieving family members being that they are preoccupied with the death of a loved on are not usually in a state where they will be in an investigative mode.

I agree, I didn't find that unusual. I'm sure virtually everyone was suspicious of the military man, but they probably assumed that other people there would know who he was, and I doubt anyone wanted to be the one who might appear disrespectful by questioning the man or examining the medal just as Danny was about to be buried. Even if the military man simply did go to the wrong funeral, it is pretty strange behaviour to leave without even offering condolences or interacting with anyone, which is why I always had the impression that he didn't want the attention and had something to hide.

I agree, I didn't find that unusual. I'm sure virtually everyone was suspicious of the military man, but they probably assumed that other people there would know who he was, and I doubt anyone wanted to be the one who might appear disrespectful by questioning the man or examining the medal just as Danny was about to be buried. Even if the military man simply did go to the wrong funeral, it is pretty strange behaviour to leave without even offering condolences or interacting with anyone, which is why I always had the impression that he didn't want the attention and had something to hide.

I'm sorry, but if you thought your loved one was murdered because he was uncovering a government conspiracy, and you saw a military man that no one recognized show up at his funeral, the very least someone could have done was ask him who he was. Especially after he placed the medal on the casket. His family was grieving his death, so yeah they may not be too concerned with investigating but Danny had several journalist friends at his funeral, and I just find it odd that not one of them thought it would be prudent to question him. Maybe it's just because I watch too much UM, but I would have wanted to question the guy or at least go back and check out the medal.

I'm sorry, but if you thought your loved one was murdered because he was uncovering a government conspiracy, and you saw a military man that no one recognized show up at his funeral, the very least someone could have done was ask him who he was. Especially after he placed the medal on the casket. His family was grieving his death, so yeah they may not be too concerned with investigating but Danny had several journalist friends at his funeral, and I just find it odd that not one of them thought it would be prudent to question him. Maybe it's just because I watch too much UM, but I would have wanted to question the guy or at least go back and check out the medal.

I think its entirely possible they did look at the medal, but there might not have been anything distinctive about it to tell anyone.

I'm sorry, but if you thought your loved one was murdered because he was uncovering a government conspiracy, and you saw a military man that no one recognized show up at his funeral, the very least someone could have done was ask him who he was. Especially after he placed the medal on the casket. His family was grieving his death, so yeah they may not be too concerned with investigating but Danny had several journalist friends at his funeral, and I just find it odd that not one of them thought it would be prudent to question him. Maybe it's just because I watch too much UM, but I would have wanted to question the guy or at least go back and check out the medal.

Agreed. Maybe the man made a speedy entry and exit. I can see how it would be awkward for a grieving family member to go up to someone in uniform, demanding "Who are you?" Maybe they were just in disbelief until the man left.

Just stumbled on this message board? Has this "mystery" been solved?

Nope. Military man still unidentified. Danny's cause of death still hotly disputed.

Just stumbled on this message board? Has this "mystery" been solved?

Yep. A giant octopus killed him.

I don't know why but I always found the military man unbelievable. Either exaggerated or completely a myth. I guess it is possible it happened. We seem to be all over the place with this one. A bit stereotypical to say the least but I love stereotypes (in its proper placement) for the simple fact that it is amusing. No disrespect to General Powell or the late Danny cassalaro.

I could see the possibility that the gentleman was a personal friend of Danny but I doubt a personal friend would show up in a limo wearing his service uniform. It also would be strange for a military member to do that on his own. Usually they only attend military or veteran funerals in uniform which I don't believe Danny was a vet. I wonder if this was just one of those things where someone said a military guy came to the funeral and it turned into something more elaborate when UM produced the segment....

That is the same exact thing i thought about when i saw the segment and looked at all aspects of this case. He took a huge risk, but corruption runs deep. The Man in the army uniform was more than likely an informant, who was just as passionate as Danny about uncovering the truth and exposing so much of the corruption, that he felt is was necessary to pay respects. The army man saw a guy who put his life on the line and died tying to fight for something he believed in. Danny was not only a journalist who loved his job to death, But he was a man who wouldn't stop until the truth was out there.

That part of the case always reminded me of the X-files, and how the mystery man who was just as passionate about uncovering the truth, Put his life at risk to help Mulder. I Look up to Dan because in a lot of way i want to be just like him if i pursue my career.

I always though whatever it was it was blown out of proportion by conspiracy theorists.

That is the same exact thing i thought about when i saw the segment and looked at all aspects of this case. He took a huge risk, but corruption runs deep. The Man in the army uniform was more than likely an informant, who was just as passionate as Danny about uncovering the truth and exposing so much of the corruption, that he felt is was necessary to pay respects. The army man saw a guy who put his life on the line and died tying to fight for something he believed in. Danny was not only a journalist who loved his job to death, But he was a man who wouldn't stop until the truth was out there.

That part of the case always reminded me of the X-files, and how the mystery man who was just as passionate about uncovering the truth, Put his life at risk to help Mulder. I Look up to Dan because in a lot of way i want to be just like him if i pursue my career.

Members are not going to be involved with that type of activity.. The only legit official connection I can remotely see is some type of investigative agency but they don't wear uniforms especially in such events for obvious reasons. Why would an investigator give himself away like that for a classified case? They also only investigate matters related to the military which I do not recall there being one mentioned although govt agencies were mentioned. But if there was one that could explain a connection for the conspiracy theorist.

It would be the equivalent of a CIA or FBI agent identifying themselves to everyone at the funeral to say hey here I am I'm involved with the circumstances of his death somehow! Hollywood and even news media perpetuates stereotypes of military and its easy to buy in if you do not have a personal account. There is a major disconnect between people that serve in the military and people that do not. So I can see that.

The only thing that makes sense to me if there is a grain of truth to this account is that there was a military person who was a friend and for some reason he decided to wear his uniform to honor Danny but the rest of the details were highly exaggerated.

I always though whatever it was it was blown out of proportion by conspiracy theorists.
Exactly

That is the same exact thing i thought about when i saw the segment and looked at all aspects of this case. He took a huge risk, but corruption runs deep. The Man in the army uniform was more than likely an informant, who was just as passionate as Danny about uncovering the truth and exposing so much of the corruption, that he felt is was necessary to pay respects. The army man saw a guy who put his life on the line and died tying to fight for something he believed in. Danny was not only a journalist who loved his job to death, But he was a man who wouldn't stop until the truth was out there.

That part of the case always reminded me of the X-files, and how the mystery man who was just as passionate about uncovering the truth, Put his life at risk to help Mulder. I Look up to Dan because in a lot of way i want to be just like him if i pursue my career.

I agree with you. This is exactly what I think happened.

Colin Powell was not the only black officer in the US armed forces at the time -- and he'd just served as Reagan's national security adviser!

I always though whatever it was it was blown out of proportion by conspiracy theorists.

It always seemed far too fanciful to me.

I know it may seem odd that I decided to reignite this conversation nearly five years later. I didn't randomly stumble on this thread.

While there definitely is something narratively stirring and "truth is out there" aura about the military man placing a medal on Danny's casket at the funeral, I always found it curious that nobody thought, in light of the details surrounding Danny's investigation and suspicious death, to approach the man (I know it's poor form at a funeral and grief does a helluva thing to common sense and emotion), but I just wish someone like Danny's brother would've gone up to him or at least, taken a further look at what exactly the man put on the casket. I'd almost be intrigued to excavate the grave and look to see what exactly medal was placed on the casket if the family were looking for any further answers.

Danny's female journalist friend who mentioned the man to Danny's mom at his wake seems like an astute and articulate observer, guided by instinct given her profession, so I tend to lend credence to her observations.

A "wrong funeral" argument could have happened, but when you hear a eulogy at the gravesite and the belief that this military man was highly decorated, one would think he'd be observational/aware enough to know he wasn't at the right funeral, especially if he was placing something meaningful on the casket.

I was wondering if, given the theory that Danny staged his death to shed further light on his story or if he'd actually taken his own life and wanted to give meaning to it through a conspiracy, if the military man might have been part of that facade, possibly an actor prearranged by Danny to assist in establishing and reifying the conspiratorial avenue.

The whole Casolaro mystery is one of the most engaging IMO and I chocked it up to an acquaintance who Danny had encountered during his travels and investigation who he'd become friendly with and this was a muted, understated last sign of respect.

Hmmm, I could understand where you guys are coming from with it being blown out of proportion, then again, i don't believe there would be any reason to cover up Danny's death the way it was, if it wasn't that serious. I also don't think the military man had any chances of outing or blowing his identity at the funeral. I think he was aware that nobody who he worked with or was involved in Danny's research would show up (That is if he really was there) . I know somebody mentioned there is no reason for military to be involved but i think its a possibility, only from my own experiences from people who are either working for the state or gov and share their stories on who had connections with who. It's a strange world. I want to think someone had just snapped along the way and really didn't want to loose their job, but in my heart i always feel off about this case. Mostly because i don't think the killer would ever be exposed.

Of course, my cynical side wonders if this guy just simply showed up at the wrong funeral by mistake :lol: . Any theories?

Another possibility along the same lines is the graveyard where Danny was buried might have a large number of veterans and this general might have just been driving by and assumed Danny was a veteran. Since military men are very cliquish, it would come as no surprise that a high ranking officer would stop and give a quick gesture of respect to a possible deceased veteran (whether he knew him or not). And I've known generals personally -- they don't typically drive around in limos unless they are going to some formal military function (like a funeral of a comrade). Generals are like everyone else off-duty -- they dress in civilian clothes and drive themselves. The exceptions would be if they are REALLY important generals like someone on the joint chiefs who might need bodyguards.

Or, perhaps, as you suggested, maybe he was going to a funeral of someone else and stopped at the wrong funeral. lol

In any case, like you, I've always found that whole uniformed military officer scenario strange and it always stuck out in my mind as being one element of the story that didn't fit. It doesn't really make sense for him to be there (at least not dressed as he was) if he and Danny were somehow acquainted and working together to uncover corruption in the government. He would want to remain anonymous if he was somehow on Danny's side. Besides, as you said, this Octopus story really had nothing to do with the military in the first place.

Another possibility along the same lines is the graveyard where Danny was buried might have a large number of veterans and this general might have just been driving by and assumed Danny was a veteran. Since military men are very cliquish, it would come as no surprise that a high ranking officer would stop and give a quick gesture of respect to a possible deceased veteran (whether he knew him or not). And I've known generals personally -- they don't typically drive around in limos unless they are going to some formal military function (like a funeral of a comrade). Generals are like everyone else off-duty -- they dress in civilian clothes and drive themselves. The exceptions would be if they are REALLY important generals like someone on the joint chiefs who might need bodyguards.

Or, perhaps, as you suggested, maybe he was going to a funeral of someone else and stopped at the wrong funeral. lol

In any case, like you, I've always found that whole uniformed military officer scenario strange and it always stuck out in my mind as being one element of the story that didn't fit. It doesn't really make sense for him to be there (at least not dressed as he was) if he and Danny were somehow acquainted and working together to uncover corruption in the government. He would want to remain anonymous if he was somehow on Danny's side. Besides, as you said, this Octopus story really had nothing to do with the military in the first place.
I agree with most of your post and will add that a veteran funeral is distinct with military honors which I don't believe Danny had. I don't see how a veteran would mistake him for a veteran. To me that's clear. So there are only two possibilities. Either Danny was involved with a TS mission that involved the DOD(which I highly doubt) or the story was blown out of proportion for Hollywood purposes. I believe the latter.

I posted in this thread last year to spark conversation, or to help with ideas on how to approach.

Not sure who else is following along here, but I know the truth to this "mystery". I've seen the theories and guesses as to why, but the truth isn't as cryptic.

I think someone guessed it right on the money at one point. It happened almost exactly as the show depicted. The "military man" at Casolaro's funeral WAS in fact there at the right funeral. And no, there's no good reason why the family would have known his identity, so they would have every right to think there was more to it.

Anyway, I heard this story about 20 years ago. A lot of time has gone by and his family may already know the truth. Should I bother making contact?

I posted in this thread last year to spark conversation, or to help with ideas on how to approach.

Not sure who else is following along here, but I know the truth to this "mystery". I've seen the theories and guesses as to why, but the truth isn't as cryptic.

I think someone guessed it right on the money at one point. It happened almost exactly as the show depicted. The "military man" at Casolaro's funeral WAS in fact there at the right funeral. And no, there's no good reason why the family would have known his identity, so they would have every right to think there was more to it.

Anyway, I heard this story about 20 years ago. A lot of time has gone by and his family may already know the truth. Should I bother making contact?

Spill!!!

I posted in this thread last year to spark conversation, or to help with ideas on how to approach.

Not sure who else is following along here, but I know the truth to this "mystery". I've seen the theories and guesses as to why, but the truth isn't as cryptic.

I think someone guessed it right on the money at one point. It happened almost exactly as the show depicted. The "military man" at Casolaro's funeral WAS in fact there at the right funeral. And no, there's no good reason why the family would have known his identity, so they would have every right to think there was more to it.

Anyway, I heard this story about 20 years ago. A lot of time has gone by and his family may already know the truth. Should I bother making contact?

Secret gay lover or drinking buddy?

I posted in this thread last year to spark conversation, or to help with ideas on how to approach.

Not sure who else is following along here, but I know the truth to this "mystery". I've seen the theories and guesses as to why, but the truth isn't as cryptic.

I think someone guessed it right on the money at one point. It happened almost exactly as the show depicted. The "military man" at Casolaro's funeral WAS in fact there at the right funeral. And no, there's no good reason why the family would have known his identity, so they would have every right to think there was more to it.

Anyway, I heard this story about 20 years ago. A lot of time has gone by and his family may already know the truth. Should I bother making contact?

You know the truth? I wanna know the truth! Although I think folks have made a compelling argument for suicide, I do not believe it. Not for a second. I'd love to know what you know.

...and for what it's worth, I'm sure his family would, too. Especially if they had questions about his death. Someone in my family recently committed suicide and I was able to find evidence to present to my mother that he had cancer. At first, I thought my mom wouldn't want to hear that, but the news actually gave her closure, as she realized that 1) it really wasn't her fault he passed away and 2) there really was nothing she could have done.

Just my two cents.

You know the truth? I wanna know the truth! Although I think folks have made a compelling argument for suicide, I do not believe it. Not for a second. I'd love to know what you know.

...and for what it's worth, I'm sure his family would, too. Especially if they had questions about his death. Someone in my family recently committed suicide and I was able to find evidence to present to my mother that he had cancer. At first, I thought my mom wouldn't want to hear that, but the news actually gave her closure, as she realized that 1) it really wasn't her fault he passed away and 2) there really was nothing she could have done.

Just my two cents.
Exactly......if something is known, make contact with the ones involved with the case.
Not cryptically on a message board.

Here's a Reddit post from a few months ago containing official documentation and crime scene photos:
https://www.reddit.com/r/UnresolvedMysteries/comments/6a21r1/updates_on_the_danny_casolaro_case/

I've always been on the fence about this case, but the thing which really stands out to me about the crime scene photos are just how deep the cuts appear to be on both of Casolaro's wrists. If he cut himself so deeply on one wrist, I'm just not sure he would have been capable of using that injured arm to slash his other wrist so deeply.

FYI, the crime scene photos are in black-and-white if you're worried you won't have the stomach to look at them.

Here's a Reddit post from a few months ago containing official documentation and crime scene photos:
https://www.reddit.com/r/UnresolvedMysteries/comments/6a21r1/updates_on_the_danny_casolaro_case/

I've always been on the fence about this case, but the thing which really stands out to me about the crime scene photos are just how deep the cuts appear to be on both of Casolaro's wrists. If he cut himself so deeply on one wrist, I'm just not sure he would have been capable of using that injured arm to slash his other wrist so deeply.

FYI, the crime scene photos are in black-and-white if you're worried you won't have the stomach to look at them.

I agree. Cuts that deep would cause excruciating pain, to the point I'm not sure he would have been able to stay conscious (let alone cut the other hand). Even with a sharp razor blade you would have to press very hard to get those results. To me, those pictures tilt it heavily to the murder side.

I don't know why but I always found the military man unbelievable. Either exaggerated or completely a myth.

Good call. And I'll take it far beyond that:

The idea of any strange mysterious person at any funeral is also a myth.

The exceptions would be too few or too meaningless to matter.

Didn't his brother say in the segment that Danny was so scared of blood that he wouldn't even go to the doctor? I'm pretty squeamish of blood myself and slitting my wrists is about the last way I'd commit suicide. I've always had a hard time believing that Danny could have committed suicide in that manner.

Didn't his brother say in the segment that Danny was so scared of blood that he wouldn't even go to the doctor? I'm pretty squeamish of blood myself and slitting my wrists is about the last way I'd commit suicide. I've always had a hard time believing that Danny could have committed suicide in that manner.

Unless he was under the influence of something.

Here's a Reddit post from a few months ago containing official documentation and crime scene photos:
https://www.reddit.com/r/UnresolvedMysteries/comments/6a21r1/updates_on_the_danny_casolaro_case/

I've always been on the fence about this case, but the thing which really stands out to me about the crime scene photos are just how deep the cuts appear to be on both of Casolaro's wrists. If he cut himself so deeply on one wrist, I'm just not sure he would have been capable of using that injured arm to slash his other wrist so deeply.

FYI, the crime scene photos are in black-and-white if you're worried you won't have the stomach to look at them.

Yep. I've looked at those pictures and have reached the same conclusion about how deep the cuts are. His tendons are totally severed. I don't think he could have cut the other wrist after making the first set of cuts. His fear of blood doesn't make me automatically think he was murdered, but the severity of those cuts sure do.

Didn't his brother say in the segment that Danny was so scared of blood that he wouldn't even go to the doctor? I'm pretty squeamish of blood myself and slitting my wrists is about the last way I'd commit suicide. I've always had a hard time believing that Danny could have committed suicide in that manner.

His brother was a doctor too, so he saw firsthand many times how squeamish he was. But it was actually Don Deveroux who brought that point up in the 'Mistaken Hit' segment, where Casolaro got a brief mention.

I agree that it's the least possible way for someone as squeamish about needles and blood and cuts as he was to off himself. If he wanted to kill himself, why not just swallow a bottle of pills or something?

I agree that I can't understand how he could cut the other wrist. However, this article has me leaning, for the first time, towards suicide.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1991/08/31/what-killed-danny-casolaro/ea110460-d4d0-4052-a84c-3660b6989ebe/?utm_term=.bb744940a39c

He had a prescription pain killer with him. He was prescribed it back in 1988. Why would he bring a 3 year old bottle of pain killers with him? It hasn't been used in years.why bring it? Also, my friend is a dentist. Dentist use to prescribe much stronger pain killers back in the late 80s before the crack down on pain killers in the early 2000s.

I'm no medical MD so I have no qualification to say if it's possible or impossible for him to slice the other wrist but pain killers would certainly help.

The suicide is very dramatic. It's a very good possibility as he was on anti depressants. His obsession with this investigation was going nowhere. He claimed to be getting threatening calls, but nobody else can verify that. I'm not saying our justice department didn't do something shady with inslaw but the huge octopus conspiracy theory sounds in the "tin foil hats" territory.

The police might've been lazy and botched the scene so it will def make it harder to know for sure.

Also, I don't know why a CIA assassin would take the time and slit someone's wrists 10-12 times. To much could go wrong and to much time. Stage a hanging or a self inflicted gun shot? Fine but the wrist slitting is a litttle bizarre.

The question as to why"didn't he just take sleeping pills" to kill himself is simple. Men are much more likely to commit suicide in a more violent fashion. Also, unless you have access to the type of sleeping pills they prescribed back in the 50s and 60s (barbiturates..the ones that killed many of actresses) it's not a sure thing. Modern sleeping pills are much harder to overdose on. Which is a good thing but it makes those hell bent on suicide want to use another method.

He told his family if he doesn't come back alive from martinsburg that he was murdered. Hmm, then why go without someone with you? He could've got rid of his paperwork before he killed himself make it to appear someone took it. Hey it worked.

Unless he was under the influence of something.

I agree that I can't understand how he could cut the other wrist. However, this article has me leaning, for the first time, towards suicide.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1991/08/31/what-killed-danny-casolaro/ea110460-d4d0-4052-a84c-3660b6989ebe/?utm_term=.bb744940a39c

He had a prescription pain killer with him. He was prescribed it back in 1988. Why would he bring a 3 year old bottle of pain killers with him? It hasn't been used in years.why bring it? Also, my friend is a dentist. Dentist use to prescribe much stronger pain killers back in the late 80s before the crack down on pain killers in the early 2000s.

I'm no medical MD so I have no qualification to say if it's possible or impossible for him to slice the other wrist but pain killers would certainly help.

The suicide is very dramatic. It's a very good possibility as he was on anti depressants. His obsession with this investigation was going nowhere. He claimed to be getting threatening calls, but nobody else can verify that. I'm not saying our justice department didn't do something shady with inslaw but the huge octopus conspiracy theory sounds in the "tin foil hats" territory.

The police might've been lazy and botched the scene so it will def make it harder to know for sure.

Also, I don't know why a CIA assassin would take the time and slit someone's wrists 10-12 times. To much could go wrong and to much time. Stage a hanging or a self inflicted gun shot? Fine but the wrist slitting is a litttle bizarre.

The question as to why"didn't he just take sleeping pills" to kill himself is simple. Men are much more likely to commit suicide in a more violent fashion. Also, unless you have access to the type of sleeping pills they prescribed back in the 50s and 60s (barbiturates..the ones that killed many of actresses) it's not a sure thing. Modern sleeping pills are much harder to overdose on. Which is a good thing but it makes those hell bent on suicide want to use another method.

He told his family if he doesn't come back alive from martinsburg that he was murdered. Hmm, then why go without someone with you? He could've got rid of his paperwork before he killed himself make it to appear someone took it. Hey it worked.

while it is fun to believe the conspiracy angle, the more info you read about this, the more it is clear it is likely suicide

while it is fun to believe the conspiracy angle, the more info you read about this, the more it is clear it is likely suicide

Indeed.

While I admit that those cuts look abnormally deep for someone to do themselves, it is possible. Anger/depression, and drug intake could definitely numb the pain enough for someone to go that far.

Also, from everything I looked into, cutting vertically is much more effective than horizontally. Obviously, if it's deep enough in any direction, it will kill you. However, if a CIA assassin was doing the job, I would think the easier way would be chosen.

Anyways, I googled it. Numerous sites with EMTs commenting have said they have seen people cut through both wrists deep enough to cause death.

Would it be tough? Of course I'm sure. However, he had pain killers with him which UM never mentioned. That would definitely help.

However, if a CIA assassin was doing the job, I would think the easier way would be chosen.

This is my problem. I want everyone who thinks this was a murder to actually think hard about this scenario hard. Why would an assassin, who somehow got into his hotel room, waste time slashing both of his wrist super deep? Not only would they leave a great amount of DNA, but that's very time-consuming, and personal.

It seems more like a crime of passion to really cut both of his wrist so deep. Yeah, I know, "they wanted to make it look like a suicide", but the overkill on his wrist make it seem opposite, and wouldn't a professional assassin know that? A more subtle murder would make more sense for an assassin, not overkill. Also wouldn't an assassin be afraid to leave a razorblade with his possible DNA at the scene?


Also, he was in a hotel room. Was there any footage showing someone going to his room? And how did the assassin get in if Danny was in the bathtub? Did he let them in and go back in the tub, where they ran up and slashed his wrist? No. No other residents heard any commotion, and if Danny was super paranoid why would he let someone in his hotel room?

This was a suicide. A bizarre one, but a suicide nonetheless. If he wasn't investigating this tin-foil hat case, and didn't have the "secrecy" surrounding his death, then most would just call this a depressive suicide. Alcohol, and prescription drugs were found in his hotel room. Pretty clear what happened.

He also left a suicide note dedicated to his son. I know we all love mysteries, but c'mon. This is reaching.

Also, a lot of people are quoting his brother who said he was super sqimism with needles and blood. That could very well be true. However, people who normally had a fear of heights have committed suicide by jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge. It was in the documentary "The Bridge." (Don't watch unless you're ready to cry).

Committing suicide isn't rational. People that desperate will do things they wouldn't normally do.

Casolaro's crudials as a journalist was pretty poor according to that article. While he was always broke and in debt, after realizing his obsession was turning out to be unpublishable and lacking credibility, he very well might've felt like a failure.

Any guess is he was depressed about it but he also wanted to create mystery around his death. Again, he told people he was getting threats but not one other person can substantiate that. He just happened to say if he was found dead on that trip, it wasn't an "accident."

No hotel employee or guest, to my knowledge, said they heard a struggle or saw a guest come into the hotel. The autopsy says at the time of death, he was had no alcohol in his blood however it says nothing about if he had pain killers in his system at the time of death. Hotel employees did say he seemed depressed during his stay and at times drank heavily.

I'm just saying logic says this was an elaborate suicide .

Casolaro's crudials as a journalist was pretty poor according to that article. While he was always broke and in debt, after realizing his obsession was turning out to be unpublishable and lacking credibility, he very well might've felt like a failure.


That, and added with the suicide note dedicated to his son, I think this was it. He was a broke journalist chasing a fairytale. Investigators said that alcohol cans, and bottles were found in his room, so it's no doubt that he was drinking prior to his suicide. Perhaps that drinking, plus the failure he felt as a father made him feel the lowest of low and he commited suicide.

Extreme method, but painkillers, plus depression can do a hell of alot. It's easy to sit back and say "no one would do that", but you're not in his head, and have no idea what he felt.

He had too much going on to make it a clear cut case of suicide. Too much other evidence at the scene to make it open and shut. Suicides are rarely elaborate...not impossible or unheard of but generally those who do it want it over with quickly. Not with elaborate staging. It seems pretty obvious to me it was not but if someone has proof otherwise I'm willing to change my mind.

He had too much going on to make it a clear cut case of suicide. Too much other evidence at the scene to make it open and shut. Suicides are rarely elaborate...not impossible or unheard of but generally those who do it want it over with quickly. Not with elaborate staging. It seems pretty obvious to me it was not but if someone has proof otherwise I'm willing to change my mind.

Explain how someone broke into his hotel room without anyone else hearing or seeing anything?

All he had going on was chasing a bunk story that was going nowhere. Outside of how deep the cuts were I'd like to hear your theories on why the scene points to murder rather suicide.

Me and Misskrissy already went. Your turn

He & Gary Webb were pretty much the same thing-chasing an interesting story which had some elements of truth to it, but bought into some dodgy people's tall tales, tried to make things fit into their beliefs, fell into depression, had money problems & realised they were never likely to work in mainstream journalism again.

He had too much going on to make it a clear cut case of suicide. Too much other evidence at the scene to make it open and shut. Suicides are rarely elaborate...not impossible or unheard of but generally those who do it want it over with quickly. Not with elaborate staging. It seems pretty obvious to me it was not but if someone has proof otherwise I'm willing to change my mind.

Obviously, I can't prove it was a suicide. However, the reason I'm saying he got rid of his documents, told people if he died on this trip it wasn't an accident, told people of random threats was to make people believe he was really into something. I've looked into this theories and it's definitely wild. Again, you would have to believe an assassin would slit his wrists 10-12 times, in a hotel room where there's a lot of people around, to cover up his octopus theory which is own publisher laughed at as incoherent and lacking credibility. He wouldn't publish it. Believe me, he was no Bernstein or Woodward

And why would he have any reason to bring an old bottle of painkillers from 1988 that he hadn't used in 3 years on this trip?

Also, I'm not against every single "conspiracy theory" in this world. Do I believe JFK was shot through the front of the head. Yup, because it's on video and every ER doctor who worked on him said the exit wound was in the back. Do I believe the CIA engaged in very shady and illegal activities especially during the 40s-60s era? Yes. However, when you start getting into the Alex Jones territory of lizard people, a staged Sandy Hook and 9/11 hologram planes....I'm not feeling it. If you look into this octopus theory, it's definitely in Alex Jones territory to me. Not to get political but listening to him will kill brain cells and cause dillusional paranoia.

The thing is, plenty of journalists at the time showed connections between BCCI, Iran-Contra, and the 1980 election, notably Theodore Draper, whose A Very Thin Line remains the most authoritative account of Iran-Contra because exhausting, and the AP's Robert Parry -- the same coterie of former and current CIA operatives and national security apparatchiks involved, officially and unofficially, with the Reagan Administration. Nothing in Casolaro's background suggests he could handle the reporting commensurate with such a scoop.

As for the alcohol, the WaPo article published (https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1991/08/31/what-killed-danny-casolaro/ea110460-d4d0-4052-a84c-3660b6989ebe/?utm_term=.1118a0e3632c) in August 2011 notes: "The autopsy report said there was no alcohol in his blood at the time of his death."

Here's an except from wiki with sources sited about Casalero

" On August 5, 1991, Casolaro phoned Bill McCoy, a retired CID officer to tell him that Time magazine had assigned him an article about the Octopus. He further claimed to be working with reporter Jack Anderson, and that publishers Little, Brown and Time Warner had offered to finance the effort. All of these claims were later shown to be false:[1] Little, Brown, for example, had rejected his Octopus manuscript over a month earlier.[6]

On the same day, Casolaro's friend Ben Mason agreed to talk to Casolaro about his finances. A few days later, Casolaro showed Mason a 22-point outline for his book and expressed frustration at having been tied up with a literary agent who was unable to sell it for the last eighteen months. He also allegedly complained about his sleep being disturbed for the previous three months by calls during the night.[1]"


1) Why would he lie so blatantly if he was really into something?

The following day, a neighbor of Casolaro's and long-time housekeeper, Olga, helped Casolaro pack a black leather tote. She remembers him packing a thick sheaf of papers into a dark brown or black briefcase. Casolaro said he was leaving for several days to visit Martinsburg, West Virginia, to meet a source who promised to provide an important missing piece to his story. This was the last time Olga saw him. Olga told The Village Voice that she answered several threatening telephone calls at Casolaro's home that day. She said that one man called at about 9:00 a.m. and said, "I will cut his body and throw it to the sharks". Less than an hour later, a different man said: "Drop dead." There was a third call, but Olga remembered only that no one spoke and that she heard music as though a radio were playing. A fourth call was the same as the third, and a fifth call, this one silent, came later that night."

2) Notice how the only witness to these calls said they came AFTER Danny had left? Not once did anyone report getting a threatening phone call when he was actually home or with them.

"Under Casolaro's body, paramedics found an empty Milwaukee beer can, two white plastic liner-trash bags, and a single edge razor blade. There was also a half-empty wine bottle nearby. Ridgeway and Vaughan write that nothing was placed in the bathtub drain to prevent debris from draining away, and none of the bathwater was saved.[1] Other than the gruesome scene, the hotel room was clean and orderly. There was a legal pad and a pen present on the desk; a single page had been torn from the pad, and a message written on it: "To those who I love the most: Please forgive me for the worst possible thing I could have done. Most of all I'm sorry to my son. I know deep down inside that God will let me in."[6]

Based on the note, the absence of a struggle, no sign of a forced entry, and the presence of alcohol, police judged the case a straightforward suicide. After inspecting the scene, they found four more razor blades in their envelopes in a small package. Police interviews further revealed that no one had seen nor heard anything suspicious. The Martinsburg police contacted authorities in Fairfax, Virginia, who said they would notify Casolaro's family.

Police investigation
The first autopsy was performed on Casolaro's body at the University of Virginia on August 14, 1991. The coroner determined that blood loss was the cause of death, and that death had occurred from one to four hours before the body was discovered, or roughly between 8:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. on August 10.[1]


3) His time of death was between 8am - 11am. He wasn't didn't die at night. Weird time for a killer to come when most guests are up and moving in the AM. The people next to him never heard a struggle or screaming.

"Frost said there was evidence of the early stages of multiple sclerosis, but the degree of severity was probably minor. Toxicology analysis uncovered traces of several drugs: antidepressants, acetaminophen, and alcohol. He wrote: "There was nothing present in any way that could have incapacitated Casolaro so he would have been incapable of struggling against an assailant, let alone been sufficient to kill him."[1]

Ron Rosenbaum, a journalist acquaintance of Casolaro's, speculated in Vanity Fair that Casolaro may have intended his suicide to appear to be murder triggered by his research, in order to have others look into the story after his death."

4) Do you how hard it would be to slit someone's writs so deeply while they are fighting back for their life? Yet nobody heard a thing

Please go to his wiki page and read the sources. Great info

He & Gary Webb were pretty much the same thing-chasing an interesting story which had some elements of truth to it, but bought into some dodgy people's tall tales, tried to make things fit into their beliefs, fell into depression, had money problems & realised they were never likely to work in mainstream journalism again.

No comparison, in my judgment. Webb had an impressive career as an investigative journalist before the series of stories that killed him professionally. And there's more truth than not in Webb's stories, especially when we learn the degree to which The Washington Post, The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times and the CIA collaborated in his downfall. As one Senate staffer said, (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/10/kill-the-messenger_n_5962708.html) even if Webb failed to find a smoking gun, there was "a strong circumstantial case that Contra officials who were paid by the CIA knew about [drug smuggling] and looked the other way." And all of us knew it at the time. Most of us lived it.

I know all about the activities in the 80s however Casolaro's notes and writing that did surface after are nothing to write home about. He hadn't uncovered anything credible.

Agreed.

The thing is, plenty of journalists at the time showed connections between BCCI, Iran-Contra, and the 1980 election, notably Theodore Draper, whose A Very Thin Line remains the most authoritative account of Iran-Contra because exhausting, and the AP's Robert Parry -- the same coterie of former and current CIA operatives and national security apparatchiks involved, officially and unofficially, with the Reagan Administration. Nothing in Casolaro's background suggests he could handle the reporting commensurate with such a scoop.

As for the alcohol, the WaPo article published (https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1991/08/31/what-killed-danny-casolaro/ea110460-d4d0-4052-a84c-3660b6989ebe/?utm_term=.1118a0e3632c) in August 2011 notes: "The autopsy report said there was no alcohol in his blood at the time of his death."

According to his wiki article which is sourced , they did find alcohol in his system.

I should've written "August 1991" for that WaPo article. My apologies.

As for the alcohol, the WaPo article published (https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1991/08/31/what-killed-danny-casolaro/ea110460-d4d0-4052-a84c-3660b6989ebe/?utm_term=.1118a0e3632c) in August 2011 notes: "The autopsy report said there was no alcohol in his blood at the time of his death."

Maybe. However multiple sources had said that alcohol was found in his room, and the staff reported that he was drunk sometime. I wonder if he was drinking before the suicide and that caused him to take his own life? Maybe the drinking led him taking something harder?

As much as people want to tin foil hat conspiracy his death, if we're looking at common sense then his "murder" doesn't make sense. There were no signs of forced entry found in his hotel room, and he left a suicide note. The razor blades were left behind and there were no DNA/evidence that anyone else was in the room. Open and shut case.

The WaPo story cited an autopsy report. Do we have other credible sources arguing a second or third autopsy found alcohol in Casolaro's system? Is there reason to doubt the claim?

It doesn't matter to me whether he was drunk. It still looks like suicide.

The WaPo story cited an autopsy report. Do we have other credible sources arguing a second or third autopsy found alcohol in Casolaro's system? Is there reason to doubt the claim?

It doesn't matter to me whether he was drunk. It still looks like suicide.

Oh, I wasn't arguing if alcohol was in his system or not, I was just saying that alcohol was found in his room. My point was that he could've been drinking days before his suicide when he got depressed and possibly decided to abuse a harder drug. Granted, he didn't have to be under the influence of anything to severe himself that bad.

To the pro-suicide crowd:

"One pathologist who studied the autopsy noted the lack of hesitance marks and the savage, deep nature of the cuts to Casolaro’s wrists as been highly unusual.

This was echoed by an attending paramedic who told investigators — “I’ve never seen such deep incisions on a suicide… I don't know how he didn't pass out from the pain after the first two slashes.” "

Again, between the pain and the loss of function, I don't think it was possible for him to cut both wrists so deep. Maybe if he put the razor blade in his teeth, but even then the pain would be extreme.

To the pro-suicide crowd:

"One pathologist who studied the autopsy noted the lack of hesitance marks and the savage, deep nature of the cuts to Casolaro’s wrists as been highly unusual.

This was echoed by an attending paramedic who told investigators — “I’ve never seen such deep incisions on a suicide… I don't know how he didn't pass out from the pain after the first two slashes.” "

Again, between the pain and the loss of function, I don't think it was possible for him to cut both wrists so deep. Maybe if he put the razor blade in his teeth, but even then the pain would be extreme.


the deep cuts definitely were the main thing that had me leaning toward murder in the beginning, but you then have to think, why would an assassin choose such a messy way to kill someone? I am now thinking a man who was depressed, on drug and/or alcohol might have done something terrible to himself

To the pro-suicide crowd:

"One pathologist who studied the autopsy noted the lack of hesitance marks and the savage, deep nature of the cuts to Casolaro’s wrists as been highly unusual.

This was echoed by an attending paramedic who told investigators — “I’ve never seen such deep incisions on a suicide… I don't know how he didn't pass out from the pain after the first two slashes.” "

Again, between the pain and the loss of function, I don't think it was possible for him to cut both wrists so deep. Maybe if he put the razor blade in his teeth, but even then the pain would be extreme.

What if he were on painkillers that were found on the scene? If he was high the pain would be numb. It's also possible he cut one wrist severely and he didn't die, so he sliced the other one until he eventually died. Also the direction in which he cut wouldn't have resulted in immediate death.

The manner of his suicide is unusual, but is it really impossible?

And as I always say never underestimate the power of depression/despair. You'd be surprised and what some people will do to themselves out of depression/desperation.

It is medically possible. Is it extremely painful? Yup. However, he did have alcohol, a painkiller and antidepressants in his system at the time of death. None of which were at a level to cause him to be unable to fight off an assailant.

Notice, the pathologist said unusual not impossible. So that answered the question if it's possible.

His time of death was between 8am-11am. I find it just as crazy as the pro murder crowd, that neither guests occupying rooms on either said of him heard any sound of what would've been a violent struggle and fight for life. So they had one guy hold him down while the other attempted to slash his wrists? Again, with no sound heard with both guests on either side? One of which had talked a few times to Casolaro the night before he died.

Why would the CIA kill a journalist who's research can't get published bc it's not credible?

Also, come on, why would he lie to friends and colleagues about being sought after by the Times and other publishers about his story when it was complete BS, if he genuinely had a good story?

It is medically possible. Is it extremely painful? Yup. However, he did have alcohol, a painkiller and antidepressants in his system at the time of death. None of which were at a level to cause him to be unable to fight off an assailant.

Notice, the pathologist said unusual not impossible. So that answered the question if it's possible.

His time of death was between 8am-11am. I find it just as crazy as the pro murder crowd, that neither guests occupying rooms on either said of him heard any sound of what would've been a violent struggle and fight for life. So they had one guy hold him down while the other attempted to slash his wrists? Again, with no sound heard with both guests on either side? One of which had talked a few times to Casolaro the night before he died.

Why would the CIA kill a journalist who's research can't get published bc it's not credible?

Also, come on, why would he lie to friends and colleagues about being sought after by the Times and other publishers about his story when it was complete BS, if he genuinely had a good story?

Another thing that gets me is the violent manner in which his wrists were cut. It seemed more like a "hateful" or "angry" attack on his wrists. I feel like he knew his story wasn't going anywhere, and he was being laughed at by publishers and it made him angry. He failed as a journalist, and possibly felt like he failed as a father (which was indicated in his suicide note) and he felt hopelessly angry.

The way he was cut seemed "passionate" to say the least. Why would someone waste time cutting him that many times when his screams could be heard by other hotel visitors next to him? That seems like way too much for an assassin on a bogus story.

I mean...put yourself in his place. You placed all of you time and energy to a story. You're beginning to realize that it's going nowhere, publishers/colleagues are laughing at you, and you lied to your family/friends numerous times.

You realize that the truth is going to surface sooner or later, and not only are you embarrassed/humiliated, but you're thinking how your son may look at you.

As harsh as it sounds, I'm sure he felt like a failure. Some people can't deal with the thought of being a failure. I'm sure it made him depressed/angry. He placed all of his money, time, effort, and energy into this only for it to be bunk. That has to hurt.

His time of death was between 8am-11am. I find it just as crazy as the pro murder crowd, that neither guests occupying rooms on either said of him heard any sound of what would've been a violent struggle and fight for life. So they had one guy hold him down while the other attempted to slash his wrists? Again, with no sound heard with both guests on either side? One of which had talked a few times to Casolaro the night before he died.

Between the times of 8am-11am, I figure most guests might be out for breakfast or already at work. This was a Sheraton right off the freeway, not a luxury hotel in tropical paradise. It's impossible to know if the people in either room next door were in their rooms at the time.

To the pro-suicide crowd:

"One pathologist who studied the autopsy noted the lack of hesitance marks and the savage, deep nature of the cuts to Casolaro’s wrists as been highly unusual.

This was echoed by an attending paramedic who told investigators — “I’ve never seen such deep incisions on a suicide… I don't know how he didn't pass out from the pain after the first two slashes.” "

Again, between the pain and the loss of function, I don't think it was possible for him to cut both wrists so deep. Maybe if he put the razor blade in his teeth, but even then the pain would be extreme.

Well the same stuff gets said about Cobain to this day-despite all the evidence showing it was suicide. Eddie Graham managed to shoot himself with a gun a second time as the first blast didn't kill him. Most likely in this case his fear of blood meant he didn't want to do hesitation cuts, see blood & then back out. Quite possibly the drugs in his system stopped him from passing out.

No comparison, in my judgment. Webb had an impressive career as an investigative journalist before the series of stories that killed him professionally. And there's more truth than not in Webb's stories, especially when we learn the degree to which The Washington Post, The New York Times, the Los Angeles Times and the CIA collaborated in his downfall. As one Senate staffer said, (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/10/kill-the-messenger_n_5962708.html) even if Webb failed to find a smoking gun, there was "a strong circumstantial case that Contra officials who were paid by the CIA knew about [drug smuggling] and looked the other way." And all of us knew it at the time. Most of us lived it.

There was a lot of truth, but there was also stuff he refused to investigate/print because it contradicted his version, he basically followed the same rabbit hole as Danny C.

In the column Ceppos continued to defend parts of the article, writing that the series had "solidly documented" that the drug ring described in the series did have connections with the Contras and did sell large quantities of cocaine in inner-city Los Angeles.

But, Ceppos wrote, the series "did not meet our standards" in four areas. 1) It presented only one interpretation of conflicting evidence and in one case "did not include information that contradicted a central assertion of the series." 2) The series' estimates of the money involved was presented as fact instead of an estimate. 3) The series oversimplified how the crack epidemic grew. 4) The series "created impressions that were open to misinterpretation" through "imprecise language and graphics.

Editors at the paper, on the other hand, felt that Webb had failed to tell them about information that contradicted the series' claims, and that he "responded to concerns not with reasoned argument, but with accusations of us selling him out

Jonathan Krim, The Mercury News editor who recruited Webb from the Plain Dealer and who supervised The Mercury News internal review of "Dark Alliance," told AJR editor Paterno that Webb "had all the qualities you'd want in a reporter: curious, dogged, a very high sense of wanting to expose wrongdoing and to hold private and public officials accountable." But as Krim also told Webb's biographer Nick Schou, "The zeal that helped make Gary a relentless reporter was coupled with an inability to question himself, to entertain the notion that he might have erred."

Scott Herhold, Webb’s first editor at the Mercury-News, wrote in a 2013 column that "Gary Webb was a journalist of outsized talent. Few reporters I've known could match his nose for an investigative story. When he was engaged, he worked hard. He wrote well. But Webb had one huge blind side: He was fundamentally a man of passion, not of fairness. When facts didn't fit his theory, he tended to shove them to the sidelines..

Between the times of 8am-11am, I figure most guests might be out for breakfast or already at work. This was a Sheraton right off the freeway, not a luxury hotel in tropical paradise. It's impossible to know if the people in either room next door were in their rooms at the time.

An assassin would have to keep in mind that people could potentially hear/see him. That's the point. Why choose a method of murder that could draw attention of screaming, and that takes a good bit of time to do?

This doesn't make sense for an assassin. Somehow break into his hotel room without being seen/heard, then somehow get in him in a bathtub, and then spend a good deal of time slashing both of his wrist which could cause attention. Doesn't make sense.

For the record, I'm not convinced either way on this case. But I am very bothered by the depth of the cuts on his wrists. They are extremely deep.

As for the "neighbors not hearing anything" argument, there are lots of possible reasons why. But that also goes both ways. Are we to believe that someone could cut his wrists up to 20 times, deep enough to get to the tendons, and not let out any yelp or scream? I don't think the lack of anyone hearing anything proves or disapproves this either way.

Also, a garbage bag was found under his body. One of the theories was that it was put over Danny's head to asphyxiate him, which might explain how they could pull this off. He also may have been tortured for information.

The drugs he had in his system were some level of an antidepressant, Tylenol, and alcohol. I could be wrong, but the levels were deemed fairly low, so I don't see how this could have helped him endure the excruciating pain any better.

Again, this may very well have been a suicide, but I can't accept those horrible cuts as being normal, especially for a guy who was apparently squeamish to blood.

Ok but if you guys think he had some great scoop that would cause him to be murdered..

Why did he blatantly lie to his friends and colleagues that Time and other publishers wanted his story when in fact, that was a complete lie?

Ok but if you guys think he had some great scoop that would cause him to be murdered..

Why did he blatantly lie to his friends and colleagues that Time and other publishers wanted his story when in fact, that was a complete lie?

He may have overplayed his hand, implying that he had evidence and proof that he didn't really have. He might have spooked someone enough that he was killed, but even that doesn't prove the existence of The Octopus or any large government conspiracy. Hell, he could have been murdered for something totally unrelated to his case (although it is pretty odd his briefcase and note file were never found).

I agree that if it was a shakedown, you'd think there would be more signs of a struggle. But there were also signs that some of the blood may have been cleaned up, and that would point to murder. Who knows... :confused:

This isn't just simply a case of him pretending to have more info than he did, I mean he just blatantly lied to his loved ones. He crafted this idea that Time and other publishers were interested in his story. It's a blatant lie

Also, a garbage bag was found under his body. One of the theories was that it was put over Danny's head to asphyxiate him, which might explain how they could pull this off. He also may have been tortured for information.

Under his body. Like he placed the bag down in the tub and sat on it. Why would someone asphyxiate him with it, and then place it under him?

The drugs he had in his system were some level of an antidepressant, Tylenol, and alcohol. I could be wrong, but the levels were deemed fairly low, so I don't see how this could have helped him endure the excruciating pain any better.

Even if the levels were low he had mixed antidepressants with alcohol. That's one hell of a mix that could numb you.

Again, this may very well have been a suicide, but I can't accept those horrible cuts as being normal, especially for a guy who was apparently squeamish to blood.

Even you admitted that he had alcohol, and antidepressants in his system. He might've been squeamish sure, but there is such a thing known as "liquid courage". Get drunk, and depressed enough and you'll be surprised at what you'll do.

Also using common sense, how would an assassin know which hotel/room he was staying in, and how did they break in?

Also, believing that the CIA or contract killers would wack Casolaro and not Gary Sick, Theodore Draper, Alfonso Chardy, Christopher Hitchens, and other reporters who published stories exposing the Reagan-CIA-Iran-Contra nexus requires a stretch.

Ok but if you guys think he had some great scoop that would cause him to be murdered..

Why did he blatantly lie to his friends and colleagues that Time and other publishers wanted his story when in fact, that was a complete lie?

The guy was a total carny, but he got worked by Riconisuto & Nichols.

Also, believing that the CIA or contract killers would wack Casolaro and not Gary Sick, Theodore Draper, Alfonso Chardy, Christopher Hitchens, and other reporters who published stories exposing the Reagan-CIA-Iran-Contra nexus requires a stretch.

This is the problem I always have with these stories as to why certain people get targeted & others don't & also like David Kelly-you let somebody spill the beans, then let them walk around before killing them & bring unwanted attention on yourself?

Even if what DC believed was true the all powerful world elite could just paint him as a hopeless drunk, broke out of work writer making stuff up to impress family, friends & women in bars. Of course that elite group cannot even agree on the most basic things at Bilderberg meetings.

When it comes to the mysterious military man at the funeral, unless there is actual physical proof somewhere (like a photo of the medal on the casket for instance), I'm going to go out on a limb and say he never existed in the first place.

Either Danny lied to his family & friends and they bought into it hook, line and sinker, or they were simply in denial (about the fact he fell down a rabbit hole, he was a bum journalist as someone mentioned and/or he committed suicide).

When it comes to the mysterious military man at the funeral, unless there is actual physical proof somewhere (like a photo of the medal on the casket for instance), I'm going to go out on a limb and say he never existed in the first place.

Either Danny lied to his family & friends and they bought into it hook, line and sinker, or they were simply in denial (about the fact he fell down a rabbit hole, he was a bum journalist as someone mentioned and/or he committed suicide).

I have always wondered whether what was reported actually went down exactly as said, certainly found it strange they would be happy to let him be buried with that the guy put in there without even being curious. Sadly in 1991 nobody had cell phones & certainly not one that could take pictures & I doubt that anybody there had a camera on them.

Not sure where this is the 'right' Casolaro thread to post it, but just for kicks, while watching the segment (S05:E21), I did a google search regarding Casolaro's files (wondering maybe, if they had turned up in the years since his death).

One of the first links I stumbled on to was a document dump at Archive.org. Having perused only a few of the docs, I'd hesitate to say for certain, but someone might have indeed found them?

Link (https://archive.org/details/casolaro?tab=collection)

Also, someone's gone to great lengths to continue digging into the case

Link (https://www.muckrock.com/news/archives/2018/mar/15/danny-casolaro-primer/)

(at the very least, even if you don't buy into the theory he was murdered, this stuff still makes for interesting reading)

Casolaro's work has as much merit as Bill Clinton conspiracy theories -- at least as presented by Unsolved Mysteries. Any historian knows to what degree members of the national security establishment participated in the October Surprise, Iran-Contra and BCCI, and the historian names names. What did Casolaro uncover that was so damn special? The Octopus has been ever thus since 1945.

A lot of the discussion of the details about this case seems like nitpicking to me, especially when there is absolutely zero positive evidence to point to anything except suicide.

But, really, zoom out from the details a bit for a moment and look at the scene from a birdseye view. A middle aged dude whose life is failing in pretty much every significant way (personal relationships, finances, physical health, mental health, career) winds up with two slashed wrists in his ****** motel bathtub. What does that say to you?

and, really, none of his research -- at least the way UM and newspaper reports presented it -- exposed anything legit journalism hadn't already published about the network of national security hired guns, satraps, charlatans, and wise men behind Iran-Contra, the October Surprise, BCCI, etc.

This segment reminded me of those conspiracy thrillers from the 70s. Hell Casolaro even looked a bit like Warren Beatty from The Parallax View

When it comes to the mysterious military man at the funeral, unless there is actual physical proof somewhere (like a photo of the medal on the casket for instance), I'm going to go out on a limb and say he never existed in the first place.

Either Danny lied to his family & friends and they bought into it hook, line and sinker, or they were simply in denial (about the fact he fell down a rabbit hole, he was a bum journalist as someone mentioned and/or he committed suicide).

One of my favorite cases, theres a lot of things that make no sense with this case, if casolaro was willing to risk his life for the truth, why didn't he leave some trace, some backup files on what he knew? why would he carry the files he had everywhere he went? instead of carrying a big almost like suitcase around with him shouldn't he have left them for someone? his brother?

If you're pretty certain that you're marked for death, why go and stay alone in some motel in the middle of nowhere? A lot of people link this to the case of chuck morgan, but it seems to be based on wanting there to be a link then based on anything concrete.


As for the military man at his funeral, it's interesting how according to UM this guy pulled up in a limo, doesn't that strike you has odd? thats bringing a huge amount of attention to yourself. why a limo? but that would surely be noticeble enough for everyone there to be a witness to it. it's also claimed that he put a medal on his coffin. did his family look at it? i assume he was buried with it. So if there is a medal, then we'd have to assume that the story is true, but what is the medal exactly and where does it come from?


Theres a lot of things that make you think that casolaro was a conspiracy nut who believed in and played a part in his own fantasy, but there are a few interesting things, if he really is buried with a medal then who knows. anyone know if his family described the medal?

One of my favorite cases, theres a lot of things that make no sense with this case, if casolaro was willing to risk his life for the truth, why didn't he leave some trace, some backup files on what he knew? why would he carry the files he had everywhere he went? instead of carrying a big almost like suitcase around with him shouldn't he have left them for someone? his brother?

If you're pretty certain that you're marked for death, why go and stay alone in some motel in the middle of nowhere? A lot of people link this to the case of chuck morgan, but it seems to be based on wanting there to be a link then based on anything concrete.


As for the military man at his funeral, it's interesting how according to UM this guy pulled up in a limo, doesn't that strike you has odd? thats bringing a huge amount of attention to yourself. why a limo? but that would surely be noticeble enough for everyone there to be a witness to it. it's also claimed that he put a medal on his coffin. did his family look at it? i assume he was buried with it. So if there is a medal, then we'd have to assume that the story is true, but what is the medal exactly and where does it come from?


Theres a lot of things that make you think that casolaro was a conspiracy nut who believed in and played a part in his own fantasy, but there are a few interesting things, if he really is buried with a medal then who knows. anyone know if his family described the medal?


The more I think about it, the more I think someone close to Casolaro is BSing when it comes to the existence of this supposed 'military man'.

Casolaro was washed up, chasing leads that led nowhere and took his own life in disgrace more or less. I'm betting someone close to him wanted to try and burnish his reputation a bit, which is why they made up the story of this military man and the medal (to make the BS he was investigating seem at least somewhat legitimate).

I don't buy the mysterious "military man" story. You're going to tell me that, during your loved one's funeral...a loved one who never served...a "high ranking soldier" shows up, puts a medal on the coffin, and salutes it, and NOT ONE person confronts him and asks who he is or why he's there? Come on. I was born on a Wednesday, but it wasn't THIS Wednesday.

I don't buy the mysterious "military man" story. You're going to tell me that, during your loved one's funeral...a loved one who never served...a "high ranking soldier" shows up, puts a medal on the coffin, and salutes it, and NOT ONE person confronts him and asks who he is or why he's there? Come on. I was born on a Wednesday, but it wasn't THIS Wednesday.

At times, UM wasn’t going to let the truth get in the way of a good story. It’s one of the best and worst things about the show. They were always willing to put some preposterous theories out there. Of course, some of the stories needed no embellishment.

I don't buy the mysterious "military man" story. You're going to tell me that, during your loved one's funeral...a loved one who never served...a "high ranking soldier" shows up, puts a medal on the coffin, and salutes it, and NOT ONE person confronts him and asks who he is or why he's there? Come on. I was born on a Wednesday, but it wasn't THIS Wednesday.

plot twist: the military man was at the wrong funeral, but no one bothered to tell him otherwise. jk

plot twist: the military man was at the wrong funeral, but no one bothered to tell him otherwise. jk

Honestly, this is something I've wondered, too, in seriousness. Their "high ranking" military man could've been some retired but decorated soldier who had just lost someone he served with, maybe had a few drinks before going to the funeral, and didn't realize he was at the wrong one.

That's the ONLY reason I can think of that there would actually have been a random serviceman that showed up, and even that strains credibility.

At times, UM wasn’t going to let the truth get in the way of a good story. It’s one of the best and worst things about the show. They were always willing to put some preposterous theories out there. Of course, some of the stories needed no embellishment.


UM generally was very honest and gave you both sides of the story, it never pushed a theory. However it usually dedicated only 15-20 minutes maybe less to every segment, meaning it couldn't really go into great detail like some of these podcasts spend 90 minutes going over everything.and it's good in some ways, because it gives you the outline and now we can look more into it.

If we really wanted to know if there was a military person at the funeral, it would be easy if you had the means, i mean a young man dies, there would have been a lot of people at his funeral, a lot of people who would have seen this military man, he left a medal on his coffin, it could be traced to some department or to somebody. UM never had the time to really go deep into the case, they had to investigate 3 or 4 cases, to have an episode ready every week.


The problem now is that it's so long ago that we'd never know the truth, unless you wanna go and dig up his grave, i think that casalero came across some very minor information, maybe the type of things we all know is going on, and he blew it up and turned it into a hollywood film, he should have kept copies of the information he supposedly was willing to die for, he shouldn't have checked into a hotel in the middle of nowhere and alone, and remember, i could buy into danny casolero being the saviour of the world, put on khakis and take my grandfathers medals to his grave, it doesn't mean that much, so maybe there was someone who did that.

Although i think this whole case has been inflated by conspiracy theorists, taking something small and making it much bigger, it would be interesting to have a documentary on it, interviewing his family, going deeper into how he was found in the hotel, talking to people at the funeral, other stuff.

If we really wanted to know if there was a military person at the funeral, it would be easy if you had the means, i mean a young man dies, there would have been a lot of people at his funeral, a lot of people who would have seen this military man, he left a medal on his coffin, it could be traced to some department or to somebody. UM never had the time to really go deep into the case, they had to investigate 3 or 4 cases, to have an episode ready every week.

Agree.

According to Ann Klenk, there were approximately 50 people that went to Danny's mother's house after the funeral for refreshments and every person was asked about the military solider. Nobody knew he was. So wouldn't that be at least 50 witnesses who could have verified the presence of the military man? I think it's really pushing it to say he never existed and was completely made up.

I understand feeling frustrated that nobody asked why he was there. But on the other hand, we have to remember that these people were at the funeral of a loved one. Think of how you would feel at the funeral of someone close to you. You're mourning. You're not always thinking logically. Most of those people were still probably in shock. It's not that surprising that the attendants would think someone ELSE in the group would know what was up with the military visitor and they'd eventually find out the backstory.

Isn't it entirely possible that this military man simply knew Casolaro and that he believed in what Casolaro was investigating?

Isn't it entirely possible that this military man simply knew Casolaro and that he believed in what Casolaro was investigating?

I agree, and I thought the same thing. To me this point was overblown by UM. It could have just been a friend or contact who knew him and wanted to pay respects. The "medal" could have been a challenge coin (not sure they had those back then, but it could be something similar) or something else that was just a show of friendship or respect.

I think the use of "high ranking official" and "medal" make this sound more sinister than it probably really was, if it happened as they claim.

I think the use of "high ranking official" and "medal" make this sound more sinister than it probably really was, if it happened as they claim.

Exactly. Your everyday civilian is going to see anyone in a uniform with more than a couple ribbons as a "high ranking official" since they don't typically read rank, ribbons, or badges. The challenge coin idea is an excellent one...they did have them at that point, and it's definitely possible that's what the "medal" was.

Agree.

According to Ann Klenk, there were approximately 50 people that went to Danny's mother's house after the funeral for refreshments and every person was asked about the military solider. Nobody knew he was. So wouldn't that be at least 50 witnesses who could have verified the presence of the military man? I think it's really pushing it to say he never existed and was completely made up.



It's like something out of an oliver stone movie, some mysterious military man arrives at a funeral, saying nothing and in a very dignified manner leaves a medal, paying his respects. We'd assume that a good amount of people went to the funeral, so he would have been seen, he pulled up in a limo, something very noticeable, i don't see how well lets say his brother made this up to add some mystique to it all, you'd have a lot of people saying "what are you talking about?"

Having said that, this isn't necessarily a game changing event, the basis of casolaros investigations were iran-contra, the hostages, vietnam. like i say in another comment i could believe (true or not) that casolaro was some maverick truth seeker, uncovering the truth about wars i fought in, believing that, couldn't i put on my military uniform and leave my medals on his grave? thinking he deserves them more than me?

But is it really that deep, really that important? If all this is true, and there was a military man there, what are we supposed to take from it? that casolaro did find something? i don't know, i don't think it's exactly that meaningful. if netflix or amazon wanted to make some documentary, they could easily find 3 or 4 people to back the story up.

A fascinating case, but you get the feeling that theres a lot of things missing

What if it was a prank (in poor taste) by someone who knew him?

It's not hard to rent a limo and acquire or make a military looking uniform.

What if it was a prank (in poor taste) by someone who knew him?

It's not hard to rent a limo and acquire or make a military looking uniform.

Seems rather pointless to play a prank on a friend who isn't alive to react to it.