this post was submitted on 11 Mar 2024
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John Barnett had worked for Boeing for 32 years, until his retirement in 2017.

In the days before his death, he had been giving evidence in a whistleblower lawsuit against the company.

Boeing said it was saddened to hear of Mr Barnett's passing. The Charleston County coroner confirmed his death to the BBC on Monday.

It said the 62-year-old had died from a "self-inflicted" wound on 9 March and police were investigating.

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[–] 4grams@awful.systems 484 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (22 children)

I am not a conspiracy theorist. Reality is trying it’s damnedest to make me one.

[–] EdibleFriend@lemmy.world 219 points 8 months ago (13 children)

Eh. There will always be real conspiracies and then...lizard people conspiracies.

This shit right here? yeah.....they killed him. 100%. No doubt in my fucking mind.

[–] agent_flounder@lemmy.world 172 points 8 months ago (1 children)

I mean, he was old...people die—

It said the 62-year-old had died from a "self-inflicted" wound on 9 March and police were investigating.

oh shit they totally fucking killed him

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[–] Serinus@lemmy.world 158 points 8 months ago (1 children)

It's possible it was stress from the litigation. In fact, if you don't specify whose stress, I'd almost guarantee it.

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[–] solidgrue@lemmy.world 58 points 8 months ago

There are circumstances where conspiracy the likeliest explanation.

This is one of those.

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[–] IzzyScissor@kbin.social 346 points 8 months ago (18 children)

He was staying at a hotel out-of-state while giving evidence against Boeing.
He was found dead in his car in the hotel parking lot from a 'self-inflicted wound'.

There's really no other way to look at it logically than he was murdered by Boeing. Nothing else adds up.

[–] deo@lemmy.dbzer0.com 191 points 8 months ago (22 children)

He wasn't even done giving the deposition that he literally volunteered to give...

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[–] Jimmyeatsausage@lemmy.world 85 points 8 months ago (3 children)

I mean, I think the logical thing to do is wait until the evidence comes out and we know for sure. It's entirely possible he was under a lot of stress from all this and did kill himself. Now, I don't deny that it's a HUGE. FUCKING. CONICIDENCE. but those do happen from time to time. Its also a hell of a story, good-guy whistleblower murdered by greedy multinational aerospace company and defense contractor...during an election year...if you wrote the script nobody would buy it.

Let's be suspicious, but not jump to conclusions.

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[–] Xanis@lemmy.world 74 points 8 months ago

Look, I'm not gonna say Boeing did it. Though if they did, I'd bet money they drove.

[–] brbposting@sh.itjust.works 45 points 8 months ago (2 children)

An investor could’ve threatened his family? (So not directly Boeing)

If he got a bunch of hate online, or had crippling anxiety about the testimony he still had to give? I mean you could even speculate he thought he would be killed someday, so he took it into his own hands.

(Please note the above is all BS!)

I would argue the jury is still out and that we may never know.

[–] meco03211@lemmy.world 45 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Direct involvement might be a question still. But general involvement is absolute. If Boeing wasn't so shitty he almost assuredly would still be alive.

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[–] LopensLeftArm@sh.itjust.works 218 points 8 months ago (1 children)

Guess the executives didn't want to wait for him to take one of their planes and die naturally by getting sucked out at 35,000 feet when a door falls off.

[–] Kitten_Mittens@lemmy.world 207 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (2 children)

“Local officials confirmed Mr. Barnett’s suicide. When asked how Mr. Barnett managed to fire the sniper shot through his bedroom window, the officer first on the scene only replied, “Trust me bro.”, while stuffing a large stack of 100 dollars bills back down the front of his pants.”

[–] BeardedSingleMalt@kbin.social 89 points 8 months ago

[2 week later] Former lead detective found dead in in what investigators have ruled a suicide. He apparently hung himself after a fit of rage where his house appeared to have kicked in his own front door, tore the hard drive out of his security camera hub, punched himself in the face a number of times, then tied the rope to a bannister and strung himself up.

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[–] burgers@toast.ooo 169 points 8 months ago (2 children)

i can't find it online, but im reasonably certain i heard an interview with this guy on Canadian public radio several years ago that really shook me. he talked basically about how he wouldn't fly on a Boeing plane, knowing what he knows and having seen what he'd seen, stuff like quality rejected parts getting taken back into inventory to meet quotas. the takeaway for me was that the quality control system that had previously worked so well was an invention of equal or possibly higher importance to any kind of aerodynamic innovation present on those planes. i work in an analogous role (in a different industry) and i really do take it more seriously after having heard the interview. nobody likes the work of quality assurance and you'll never see someone doing a non-conformance report on TV but it's a necessary condition for planes to stay in the sky. RIP to a real one and if he got murdered then i hope the industry burns

[–] cyberpunk007@lemmy.world 51 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (4 children)

Neat, I'm jumping on a Boeing 737-700 in about 8 hours. Nice knowin ya while it lasted.

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[–] linearchaos@lemmy.world 48 points 8 months ago (2 children)

John Oliver's Boeing broadcast last week included a video of a guy walking around a Boeing production floor asking all the people if any of them would be willing to fly in a Boeing. Of everyone he asked a single guy said yes and then followed it up with "but I kind of have a death wish."

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[–] M0oP0o@mander.xyz 126 points 8 months ago (5 children)

They should really make some sort of incentive to keep these people alive. Like if a whistle blower dies before the verdict of the trial/hearing make it an automatic assumption and multiply the punishment by 3 times (Treble!). Then you would have companies doing everything to not have whistle blowers die, not what we have today.

[–] kromem@lemmy.world 126 points 8 months ago (5 children)

Your competitors take out contract hits against your whistleblower and you need to have bodyguards to protect them.

And then your head of security and the whistleblower fall in love until at the end of the movie the competitor assassin gets into the court waiting room and the head of security throws themselves into the ninja star's way and dies in the whistleblower's arms as the ultimate sacrifice is made for love and corporate profits.

I tear up just thinking about it.

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[–] aidan@lemmy.world 63 points 8 months ago (16 children)

They do have an disincentive, its called decades in jail if its discovered you kill him.

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[–] dangblingus@lemmy.dbzer0.com 117 points 8 months ago (7 children)

The day before his testimony. He was 100% assassinated. Too bad Boeing is such a major company. This would have FBI agents crawling all over it if it wasn't a company that can afford to buy every politician in DC.

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[–] ChaoticEntropy@feddit.uk 109 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (1 children)

I'm not going to say that Boeing had this guy directly killed, but I can certainly see them and their legal team explicitly trying to make his life as hellish as possible until he felt that he only had one way out. Legal threats if you stop proceeding with your case, legals threats if you don't, they want a terrible warning for any other whistleblowers.

[–] vjxtdibobyd@lemmy.world 52 points 8 months ago (2 children)

Isn't that exactly what happened to Aaron Schwartz? Not a whistleblower, but similar tactics

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[–] Wooster@startrek.website 106 points 8 months ago (7 children)

Is this a Russian style self inflicted wound…?

[–] homesweethomeMrL@lemmy.world 123 points 8 months ago (1 children)

My brother in Freedom Jesus, faking a murder to look like suicide is as American as apple pie!

Hell the most notorious pedophile in history, who definitely had video of the world’s richest men committing statutory rape and assault, killed himself in one of the most secure locations anyone could imagine, surrounded by guards and video cameras! And nobody saw a thing! HA! And we’re all like “well i guess that sordid chapter is over” hahahaha. Oh man. It literally works every. single. time.

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[–] nifty@lemmy.world 103 points 8 months ago (21 children)

How about customers just flat out refuse to fly on Boeing planes?

[–] SeaJ@lemm.ee 71 points 8 months ago

The fact that several airlines let you filter out plane models indicates people are indeed doing that. Airbus: no fuss; no muss.

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[–] gibmiser@lemmy.world 101 points 8 months ago (16 children)

Why don't news organizations address the elephant in the room? They can say there is no evidence of foul play but the circumstances warrant further investigation as his death is quite convenient for Bowing. I don't see how that could be libelous.

[–] JimmyBigSausage@lemm.ee 72 points 8 months ago

Because news organizations no longer do any work investigating, only propagandizing for the sweet greenback$. 💰

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[–] Cosmicomical@lemmy.world 99 points 8 months ago (6 children)

So, the guy was expected to appear in court for thw second round of questioning and when he didn't show up was found dead in his truck in the underground car park of the hotel. Doesn't sound like someone that wanted to end it. Maybe I'm wrong but I wouldn't book a room to go to court and then on a whim decide to end it.

They should investigate the coroner asap.

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[–] blahsay@lemmy.world 99 points 8 months ago (16 children)

I'll never fly in a Boeing again after hearing this. Unless the ceo gets arrested 🤔

Kayak lets you search via plane model fyi

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[–] Adulated_Aspersion@lemmy.world 87 points 8 months ago (3 children)

This is "falling out of a window or down an elevator shaft in Russia"-level blatant.

This appears very loud and clear to any other potential whistle-blowers.

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[–] veniasilente@lemm.ee 72 points 8 months ago (22 children)

It said the 62-year-old had died from a “self-inflicted” wound on 9 March and police were investigating.

Ah yes the classic suicide by shot to the back.

Nothing to see here, citizen. Move along, and consoom Boeing.

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[–] jpreston2005@lemmy.world 71 points 8 months ago (9 children)

Weird, but I read this article and before it said specifically that he died from a gunshot wound. Looks like it's been updated (or redacted) to leave that bit out. Originally it said he died from a self inflicted gunshot wound to the head.

So Boeing executives murdered a whistleblower. huh.

Being in Quality Control myself, I've always felt pressure from higher ups around some of our bigger findings. Cool to know if I ever find something too big they'll just straight up murder me.

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[–] EmperorHenry@discuss.tchncs.de 63 points 8 months ago (5 children)

Ah yes, "found dead" like the people who reported on the Panama papers "died in car accidents"

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[–] Audacious@sh.itjust.works 57 points 8 months ago

If it's Boeing, I'm NOT going.

[–] flango@lemmy.eco.br 56 points 8 months ago

Last week, he gave a formal deposition in which he was questioned by Boeing's lawyers, before being cross-examined by his own counsel.

He had been due to undergo further questioning on Saturday. When he did not appear, enquiries were made at his hotel.

He was subsequently found dead in his truck in the hotel car park.

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