Michael Crook, the creator of the reprehensible ForsakeTheTroops.info website died last night, according to a posting on his personal website.
Crook was allegedly beaten by persons upset with his site, and died as a result of those injuries.
As it mentions on the Troops site, today at 6:19pm EST, Michael Crook died at an area hospital as a result of head injuries sustained from an assault by people upset with his website.I don't wish death on anyone, but it appeared that Crook sought confrontation - some of it violent - with his opinions and websites.Michael died with his wife, and baby present. He was 27. The assaulters are in custody.
a Vietnam vet actually recognized me in public and approached me. He didn't threaten me, and was actually quite respectful. In all honestly, it seemed as if he was hurt by the site..he was blubbering some nonsense about losing friends in the conflict. I felt real good telling him off. He just slunk away. All talk, no action. Typical!Crook had just placed a new site up, ForsakeThePolice.info, with much the same sort of mean-spirited rhetoric, this time directed toward law enforcement across the nation. He apparently didn't have much opportunity to put much on that site before his demise.Oh, by the way..playtime's over..you'll notice that the contact methods are no longer available on the website. No more e-mail, no IM's, and the forums require my approval to join. You can no longer leave comments on this weblog, either. Playtime's over. I don't really care to hear about peoples' hurt feelings, nor do I care about anyone's opinion, really. What it comes down to is this: I am right, and everyone else is wrong on this matter.
His family has placed a contact telephone number on the site for media and condolences, and asks for privacy at this point (I won't post the number in respect for said privacy). But given Crook's attitude and mindset, I wouldn't be surprised if the family doesn't receive much in the way of sympathy.
UPDATE - 10:45A ET - No word of Crook's attack or death has been reported in local media in Syracuse, NY, Crook's home town. In addition, the telephone number listed on the website "has been changed" and points to a local web hosting service's phone number.
Could this be a publicity stunt on Crook's part?
UPDATE - 12:30P ET - Crook's personal website is still there, but mentions of his demise (notably the link above) have been removed.
His ForsakeTheTroops site still exists with the reports of death though.
No reports of the attack on Crook have appeared in Syracuse or New York state media outlets, which increases speculation that this is an idiotic, brain-addled attempt at faking his own demise.
UPDATE - 8P ET - Confirmed, via Marine Corps Times: "local police say no murder has occurred."
The site also says the two attackers were “taken into police custody.”Now, I can say this. I hope this puke gets what's coming to him. I don't wish death on anyone, but I do wish a great deal of pain and suffering on Mr. Crook.But officials with the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office in Syracuse told Army Times Tuesday that they have no record or knowledge of any such attack in the region.
A message left at the phone number listed on the Web site was not immediately returned.
The Web site has repeatedly posted disparaging comments about the military. Crook, the alleged blogger of the site, has said his main intent is to inform Americans that soldiers are paid too much for what they do.
Recently the site posted this: “Don't military pukes learn anything? Nine more Marines bite the big one in combat. Stupid is as stupid does!”
I'm in Syracuse. The local NPR station didn't mention anything about it. I watched the local news last night and there was no mention of it either.Nothing on any of the local station websites either.
Posted by: Samantha at May 17, 2005 11:56 AMYeah, I haven't seen anything about it either. Seems like he may have tired of all the negative feedback he was getting, and decided to bow out with a sickening flourish. I don't believe it for a moment.
Posted by: Steve at May 17, 2005 12:07 PMI got page not found notices when I tried to access the links.
Posted by: Samantha at May 17, 2005 12:08 PMhttp://www.marinecorpstimes.com/story.php?f=1-292925-855155.php
Posted by: Kwik K at May 17, 2005 07:30 PMMichael Crook has got to be one of the stupidest liberals to appear on TV lately. To come out and say the things he says about those of us in uniform is another way of him saying,"please come and kick my ass". I know a bunch of folks who'd be happy to do just that. I sure hope he walks into the wrong place at the wrong time.
Posted by: John at June 2, 2005 07:41 PMI am glad that they got rid of him and his stupid site because i have been in the Marine Corps for 12yrs and served my country because i love this place we live in and everything that we stand for. Looks like someone from the AirForce allready bought the site because if they hadn't bought it then i was going to be getting enough Marine hackers to wreck that site every single day so he wouldn't be able to be online but i guess if he is still alive the U.S. Marines will find him online or on the streets because people like him make me sick and discusted because i have done 2 tours to Iraq and i do it so that everyone can have there freedom and that is the bottom line.
Posted by: U.S. Marine Camp Pendleton Ca at August 10, 2005 08:38 PMHe probally want's everyone thinking he is dead and that is why he posted that on his site before it got boughten out underneath him, but like i said you can't miss that ugly ass face because eventually someone will recognise him and then it will be all over. Some advice if you are alive then you better stay where you are and not come to Southern California where any of the bases are because all the Marines and Navy Service Men and Women know what you look like and we all hate your type of people.
Posted by: U.S. Marine Camp Pendleton Ca at August 10, 2005 08:44 PM