The Daily News reported
yesterday that Kenny Johannemann - a key witness in the WTC 9/11
bombings - recently committed suicide.
I call him a key witness because in spite of aggressive prodding
from reporters about "the planes," he clearly called what
happened on the upper floors of the World Trade Center
"explosions."
More important, Johannemann reported a massive explosion in the
basement of one of the Twin Towers and rescuing someone
who received full body burns from an explosion that took place
at the base - not the top - of the building.
(The Daily News obscured this part of the story in their report
today.)
The suicide note purportedly left by Johannemann stated that he
had "lost friends and family" over "his drinking" which the
letter attributes to his depression since 9/11.
Here is the entire text of the note as reported in the Daily
News:
"The reason I killed myself was 'cause I was getting evicted
and can't handle homelessness. I was also very depressed since
9/11. I've been drinking way too much and it's ruined my life.
I've lost friends and family over drinking and I'm very lonely.
There is nothing left for me to be happy about other than my
cat. Sounds weird, but it's true. I just wanted to say I'm sorry
2 any people I ever hurt in my life. I really was a good person
when I wasn't drinking. I hope people remember that.
Goodbye!!!
Kenny Johannemann"
I wonder if the person who wrote this suicide note bothered to
spend any time listening to Johannemann speak.
Johannemann had a large extended family and large social network
which, according to his cousin Gerald Maya, universally held him
in high regard. Maya had offered him a place to live.
You have to ask yourself two thing:
1. Would a man shoot himself in the head because he faced
eviction when he had a family and social safety net like that?
2. Would someone as well spoken as Johannemann demonstrated
himself to be on live TV, write a suicide note that sounds more
like a teen aged boy's text message than a grown man's final
testament?
Keep in mind that there are other people, more visible than
Johannemann, who are actively telling the same story he did in
public venues. You can bet that Johannemann's "suicide" has sent
them a message loud and clear about their safety or lack of it.
In case you were concerned about them, these eye
witnesses are alive and well: