Author Hunter S. Thompson’s death ruled a suicide by review

Journalist Hunter S. Thompson, left, and his wife, Anita Thompson, at the Pitkin County Court House in Aspen, Colo., on April 23, 2003, during their civil wedding ceremony. (AP Photo/Louisa Davidson, File)

DENVER — Investigators in Colorado confirmed Friday that the 2005 shooting death of journalist Hunter S. Thompson was a suicide, following a review requested by local authorities at the behest of his widow.

The probe, announced in September, was opened after Anita Thompson contacted the sheriff for the Aspen area, Michael Buglione, with “new concerns and potential information regarding the investigation” into Thompson’s death, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation said.

The bureau did not explain what that information was, but it noted that the review found that his body “was not moved or ‘staged’ after death.”

CBI said interviews with family members and the original investigators confirmed that Thompson suffered from significant depression and chronic pain at the time of his death. Pitkin County coroner Dr. Steven Ayers noted that he was in physical and mental decline and idolized author Ernest Hemingway, who also died by suicide, it said.

“All speculative theories could not be substantiated,” CBI said.

In a statement included in the announcement, Anita Thompson thanked the bureau for its “kind and thorough work.”

“This allows all of us who loved Hunter to move forward with a clean conscience,” she said.

CBI spokesperson Rob Low declined to comment on what concerns were behind the review, and Buglione did not immediately respond to a phone call and email seeking more information.

Thompson, who popularized a first-person form of gonzo journalism in articles and books such as “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas,” died in February 2005 at his Aspen-area home, Owl Farm in Woody Creek. He was 67.

His remains were famously cremated and fired from a cannon at his request during a private ceremony in Colorado. Among the celebrities who attended was actor Johnny Depp, who played the lead role in the 1998 film adaptation of “Fear and Loathing.”

Thompson home was examined as part of the investigation because most of the physical evidence and photographs were destroyed under protocols for cases that are not considered criminal, CBI said.

As part of the review, investigators tracked the path of the bullet that killed Thompson with the help of a fragment that was still lodged in an appliance in the home, Low said.

Buglione said in a statement that he believes the original investigation was conducted properly but investigators recognized the importance of an independent review.

“CBI’s conclusions reaffirm the original findings and, we hope, provide reassurance and clarity,” he said.

Colleen Slevin, The Associated Press