It could happen. Maybe.
A right-handed man could fire a gun into the back left side of his head using his right hand ? or his left hand. The bullet from what police called Robert Lee Clay?s suicide could go missing. And the absence of a suicide note or conversations with associates about despair and depression are not uncommon in suicides.
But the death of the community activist in the front hall of his East Baltimore office on May 16, 2005, with the contortionist shot, absent bullet and missing self-destruction motive could also have been a murder.
We think you would agree that most reasonable-thinking folks would have found that conclusion more plausible than suicide.
The Baltimore City police and the Medical Examiner?s Office did not. So they are not aggressively seeking Clay?s would-be murderer, despite the willingness of his immediate family to suffer through the continuing sadness of a homicide investigation and its attendant publicity.
Their willingness alone to endure an investigation is persuasive.
But four crime scene experts, including internationally recognized forensic scientist Henry Lee, who has testified at a number of high-profile cases including the O.J. Simpson trial, dispute the quick suicide ruling by the Medical Examiner?s Office.
Their skepticism has prompted at least one City Council member to do the right thing.
So we?re with Council Member Belinda Conaway, who seeks to persuade the council to pass a resolution on Sept. 19 (its next meeting) asking for the police to return to the case.
Police Commissioner Leonard Hamm could ignore the case.
But it would be embarrassing to all of us who pay him if he did.
