Confirmed - Bill Sparkman Census worker died of asphyxiation

More details of the murder of Bill Sparkman, a Census worker found hanging in the woods with "fed" scrawled on his body, have emerged. From Google/AP:

Authorities confirmed a U.S. Census worker died by asphyxiation but were releasing few other details about the mysterious case nearly two weeks after Bill Sparkman's body — with the word "fed" scrawled on the chest — was found hanging from a tree near a family cemetery secluded by Appalachian forest.

The substitute teacher, 51, was discovered Sept. 12 in a remote patch of Daniel Boone National Forest in Clay County where he was working part-time for the government.

. . .

Mary Hibbard, a teacher at an adult learning center in Manchester, recalled Sparkman visiting her over the summer to ask typical Census questions, such as the size of her house and the average monthly utility bills. After she answered, she turned the questioning on him — quizzing him about his faith and learning he had a strong belief in God.

She said she was shocked when she saw his picture of him on the news.

"I think the negative publicity of it is a stigma on our county," she said. "It makes people think less of us, even though this is an isolated incident. When it happens here, it seems like it's emphasized."

While authorities confirmed for the first time Thursday that asphyxiation was the cause of death, even the details behind that were murky. According to a Kentucky State Police statement, the body was hanging from a tree with a noose around the neck, yet it was in contact with the ground.

The word "fed" had been scrawled on his chest, according to a law enforcement official who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the official was not authorized to discuss the case.

. . .

Army retiree George Robinson did door-to-door census work in Clay County in 2000. No one ever threatened him, but some people questioned why the government needed to know some of the information, especially income, requested on the census form.

"You meet some strange people," he said. "Nothing is a surprise in Clay County."