Bizarre JW father/son death

by Smiles 11 Replies latest jw friends

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  Smiles

  
  JW friends informed me that this family are JWs with the Shea Heights congregation in Scottsdale Arizona. I am told that the elder body there censored this family because the elder body suspected "demon problems". I am sure those elders feel justified now.

  Tragic and very suspicious deaths.

  http://www.nps.gov/yell/press/0573.htm

  Yellowstone National Park News Release

  INFORMATION FOR THE MEDIA CONTACT: Matthews or Vallie FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (307) 344-2010 September 18, 2005 05-73 Names Released on Victims Involved in High Bridge Incident Yellowstone National Park officials report the names of the two victims who fell from the Gardner River High Bridge on Friday, September 16, 2005, are Drew Webster Speedie, 50 years old, of Scottsdale, Arizona, and his son, Brent Quinn Speedie, 13 years old, also of Scottsdale. A Yellowstone National Park ranger was contacted by a park visitor on Friday about the incident at the Gardner River High Bridge ( High Bridge), located on the Mammoth-to-Tower Junction road approximately one mile from Mammoth Hot Springs. A language barrier prevented the ranger from fully understanding the nature of the report, other than that some sort of incident had occurred or was occurring at the bridge. The ranger immediately responded to the area to determine the nature of the report. At the bridge he contacted a woman who reported that her husband and teenage son had gone to take a picture 2 ½ hours earlier and had not returned. She had hiked a short distance looking for them without luck. The ranger began searching the area, and subsequently discovered two bodies below the bridge near the river embankment, around a 200-foot drop from the top of the bridge. The individual who first reported the incident has not been relocated to interview with an interpreter, and the park has been unable to locate anyone else that might have seen what happened. Forensic autopsies have been completed and show the cause of death as blunt trauma due to the fall. Yellowstone National Park officials are asking anyone that might have witnessed anything on the High Bridge between 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on Friday, September 16, or who might have other helpful information to please contact the park's Communication Center at (307) 344-7381 and ask for an on-duty Criminal Investigator.
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  prophecor
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  Cygnus

  That's stupid. I and a few other daring JWs used to climb under large bridges with 4-500 ft. drops at Letchworth St, park some 60-80 miles SE of Buffalo and never got hurt. So they slipped and died. Lots of people do stupid things that get them hurt or killed.

  At least they got their ticket into Paradise.
• 

  Smiles

  

  BRIDGE OVER GARDNER RIVER BETWEEN MAMMOTH AND TOWER JUNCTION - YELLOWSTONE PARK
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  Smiles

  Speedie, a native of Canada, was a world-renowned computer software designer. He was based in Scottsdale, but lectured in the United States and other countries for Missouri-based Visonpace.

  Drew is well-known in the FoxPro community as the author and architect of the Visual MaxFrame Pro framework. He began work on it in the early days of VFP and continued to improve and enhance it through several job changes and buy-outs. But FoxPro veterans may also remember that he was one of the key developers for a FoxPro project for Mobil Oil that dwarfed nearly every other system on the planet.
  
  Drew was a friend and a valued member of the Visionpace team. He was the architect and primary developer of the Visual Maxframe Professional VFP framework and a frequent speaker at Fox conferences in North America and Europe and was often accompanied by Brent and his wife, Irene.

  Drew was different than most of the FoxGang. Though he enjoyed going out for a good meal and a couple of beers as much as anyone, most of his time, even at conferences (and after that first one, there's hardly been a FoxPro conference where Drew didn't speak), was spent working or with his family. Because Drew and his wife Irene chose to home school, Brent and Irene frequently accompanied Drew to events. We all watched Brent grow from a precocious toddler to a sweet teenager, who hadn't yet started to drive his parents crazy.

  Brent's education included plenty of computer programming. More than once, he served as Drew's assistant for a session and at conferences, he could often be seen testing his father's code. In fact, Brent is the top bug finder for Visual MaxFrame Pro.
  
  When I first met Brent, he was about two. He was polite and articulate. Seeing him only a couple of times a year, his growth always surprised me. In addition to learning the three R's, Brent's education included plenty of computer programming. More than once, he served as Drew's assistant for a session and at conferences, he could often be seen testing his father's code. In fact, Brent is the top bug finder for Visual MaxFrame Pro. Brent was one of those “I can't wait to see how he turns out” kids; the loss of his future is tragic.

  http://www.utcoverage.com/FoxTeach/March2001/Sun18.jpg

  http://advisor.com/doc/17092
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  TheOldHippie

  I think you should write/think about this tragic death in stead of trying to make some sort of scandal out of it and call it a bizarre death. It seems you are trying to blame the WT for their death. It is a shame if you are trying to make some fun or blame or scandal out of this tragedy. Read the memorial article and the comments from the other employees, and then go and shut up for the rest of your life.

  TOH
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  Smiles

  It is bizarre and suspicious anytime a father/son pair fall from a bridge to their deaths. The elders in their congregation should feel regret over the way they treated this family. WT elders should be held responsible anytime they mistreat people and cause emotional trauma.

  The elder body that mishandled this family will have a hard time now trying to look like the nice guys who care and comfort the family they originally censored.

  My friends knew the Speedie family and say they are good people.

  OldHippie, I do not think this tragedy is a scandal, if I did, this topic would have been placed in the Scandals & Coverup category. I did not blame anyone. And I am not making fun of the deaths. How dare you suggest that.

  If this tragedy is anything more than an accident, then those who played a role in the contributing issues should feel regret and be held accountable if necessary.
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  Oroborus21

  Smiles,

  I have to agree with the above poster. Your statement "I am sure the local elders feel justified now" is intended and by implication to involve (alleged) congregational matters with what (from the news report) appears to be nothing more than a tragic accident.

  What rankles those of us that have a more moderate view towards the Organization is that opposers will sometimes attempt to cast disparagement upon the Organization by any means possible.

  Jehovah's Witnesses as a group experience the same problems, the same shortcomings and the same tragedies as others. Not every negative, hurtful or tragic thing that occurs to a Jehovah's Witness is a product of the religion or the fault of the religion or Organization. And most Jehovah's Witnesses do NOT see any sort of justification through tragedy for one's sins or vindication that such one was on a wrongful course or had committed some wrongdoing because something bad happens to them.

  If it was not your intention to do this in this instance, I do not see the point in your providing either the hearsay "punishment" of the family or in your statement regarding the elders feeling justified.

  -Eduardo Leaton Jr., Esq.
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  Smiles

  The "demonic problems" were used as the reason for the family troubles over the last few years. The elders in this congregation censored this family for that specific reason and warned others in the congregation about the possibly of that demonic influence. That censorship caused further emotional problems for this family. If you do not think that the elders that made the "demonic problems" assertion now believe their assertions are validated, then you're kidding yourself.

  Also, as you will note in the official press release, this tragedy is not an opened and closed accident case. Contact the on-duty Criminal Investigator at (307) 344-7381.
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  rebel8

  I don't read the OP and get the impression there was an implied link between congregational matters and the death...as in cause and effect.

  What I understood the OP to mean was that the elders mistreated this family and now I wonder how they feel, considering how obvious it is now these people needed help instead of being censured and accused of being demonized.