Sources: Insurance probed in hanging death of census taker

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — A census taker found hanging from a tree had named his son as his life-insurance beneficiary, and investigators are looking into whether the father manipulated the death scene to make a claim possible, law-enforcement officials told The Associated Press on Thursday.

In an interview with AP, Josh Sparkman said he found paperwork for the private life-insurance policy among his father’s personal files but wasn’t sure of the amount or when it was taken out. He said authorities have told him nothing about the case or produced a death certificate, which is usually needed to make an insurance claim.

Two law-enforcement sources, who spoke to AP on condition of anonymity because they are not authorized to discuss the case, said investigators are trying to determine if Bill Sparkman committed suicide but altered the scene to make it look like a homicide, allowing his son to collect. Life-insurance policies typically do not cover suicides.

Josh Sparkman said he is convinced his father was slain, in part because there were several items missing and apparently stolen from his car.

“If it’s deemed suicide, there’s no point in even looking at insurance,” Josh Sparkman said. “There’s no such thing as suicide insurance. The money is not the concern. I just want to know what happened to my dad.”

Sparkman’s naked body was found Sept. 12 near a family cemetery in a heavily wooded area of southeastern Kentucky. One of the witnesses who found the body said the 51-year-old was bound with duct tape, gagged and had an identification badge taped to his neck. Authorities have confirmed “Fed” was written on his chest, likely in pen.