How do you have a man hung from a tree by his neck, yet also shot in the chest, ruled a suicide when the weapon can’t be found?
I like to think of myself as creative, but I’m having a hard time putting together this scenario with the facts in evidence.
The report, written by Perry County Sheriff's Deputy Jeremy Lawson, says he was called to the ranch by worker Samantha McElroy who had found Middleton's abandoned black BMW SUV.
McElroy, 46, then walked around a cottage on the ranch.
'Almost immediately after stepping around the corner of the cottage she started yelling,' wrote Lawson.
'Upon reaching the back of the cottage she pointed towards the rear of the property and asked if that was a person.
'I could see what at first appeared to be a man sitting near a tree, as my eyes focused better, I could see a rope of some type going from the tree limb to the male."
Lawson said it was clear that Middleton was dead.
'I could see that he had a gunshot wound to the chest and that he had a knot tied in an extension cord that was around his neck and it was attached to the limb directly above him.
The deputy said a search of Middleton's vehicle turned up three boxes of buckshot and a gun case – but no weapon.
I like to think of myself as creative, but I’m having a hard time putting together this scenario with the facts in evidence.
The report, written by Perry County Sheriff's Deputy Jeremy Lawson, says he was called to the ranch by worker Samantha McElroy who had found Middleton's abandoned black BMW SUV.
McElroy, 46, then walked around a cottage on the ranch.
'Almost immediately after stepping around the corner of the cottage she started yelling,' wrote Lawson.
'Upon reaching the back of the cottage she pointed towards the rear of the property and asked if that was a person.
'I could see what at first appeared to be a man sitting near a tree, as my eyes focused better, I could see a rope of some type going from the tree limb to the male."
Lawson said it was clear that Middleton was dead.
'I could see that he had a gunshot wound to the chest and that he had a knot tied in an extension cord that was around his neck and it was attached to the limb directly above him.
The deputy said a search of Middleton's vehicle turned up three boxes of buckshot and a gun case – but no weapon.