71-year-old Florida man tied a gun to a weather balloon to fake his own murder, police say

[TexasTowelie]

The Palm Beach Gardens Police Department's first homicide investigation of 2018 opened in late January - rather early in the year, considering that Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, is basically a live-in golf course of 50,000 people, where the annual murder count rarely cracks one.

The case proceeded by the books, at first.

Victim: Alan J. Abrahamson. A well-liked man, by the accounts of friends and family. Ostensively happy, according to the same.

"Alan was an avid golfer, enjoyed traveling and had a zest for life," per his obituary in the Palm Beach Post. "He woke up each morning with a smile on his face and was adored by all."

Abrahamson lived in a $900,000 house, inside the gates of an opulent country club, within walking distance to the ocean and whatever amenities a 71-year-old man might avail himself of. He owned the house with his wife, Linda, ("soul mates," as a family friend put it to police.) He had children and stepchildren and step-grandchildren. He had no major medical issues that police knew of. No known enemies, either.

Read more: http://www.jamestownsun.com/news/nation/4472919-71-year-old-florida-man-tied-gun-weather-balloon-fake-his-own-murder-police-say

[Kaleva]

1. Guy had been planning his suicide since at least 2009

"No one had. But police were able to access Abrahamson's phone and web searches dating back nearly a decade. As excerpted in the final police report, the search queries told a story that made sense to detectives:

July 7, 2009: "Suicide." "How to commit Suicide."

April 10, 2012: "Life insurance suicide."

March 17, 2016: "Undetectable suicide methods."

Feb. 21, 2017: "Gizmodo.com, explains what happens when you get shot in the Head." And: "If shot in the heart do you die instantly." And: "Can you have a gunshot suicide with no weapon present."

Feb. 23, 2017: "YouTube / SEG, Suppressors, Jefferson Silencer on Walther PPK's Suppressed .380."

Aug. 28, 2017 (voice search): "How many cubic feet of helium do you need to raise one pound?"

Jan. 23, 2018: "Helium suppliers near me."

Jan. 24, 2018 (final search before death): "Dawn / Dusk Times."

http://www.jamestownsun.com/news/nation/4472919-71-year-old-florida-man-tied-gun-weather-balloon-fake-his-own-murder-police-say

[Victor_c3]

2. As a guy who has attempted suicide, that doesn't seem strange to me

I attempted it on 25 June 2014 and I know I had settled on a method probably 6 or 7 years earlier and I know I was thinking about suicide even before then. I was just waiting for the right time to go for it.

For what it’s worth, I’m in very regular psychiatric treatment. I don’t feel that I’m a risk to try it again anytime soon.