Captain Mike O'Mara

[TheCars1986]

I've searched through the forum and couldn't find a thread solely dedicated to the Mike O'Mara case. For those that don't remember, he was the police officer who left his home one evening to get frozen yogurt for his family and on the way went to go fill up his car at a service station (used by government employees & law enforcement). Shortly thereafter another officer pulled up and saw the abandoned car with the gas nozzle still in the tank, and then found O'Mara 75 feet away slumped over a rock, dead from a single gunshot wound to the head. Based off of the UM segment, it appears as though the investigating PD was deadset on ruling this a "suicide", yet O'mara's friends and family said he would never take his own life since he planned on retiring from the force shortly before he died. I'll elaborate more on this when I get the time, but for now what do you all think? Murder or suicide?

[RobinW]

I don't believe this was anything but murder. I doubt you will ever find another documented case of someone just randomly deciding to kill themselves while in the midst of filling up their car with gas! Not to mention that borrowing money from your wife to buy yogurt is a very strange thing to do if you're planning to commit suicide and never come back.

The police chief's rationale that O'Mara might have decided to deliberately commit suicide in a bizarre fashion in order to make people think it was a homicide sounded hella-weak to me. This whole thing definitely reeks of cover-up to me, though given that the brunt of O'Mara's big cases happened earlier in his career and he was spending his last few years working a quiet desk job, who knows what the motive was?

[Todd Mueller]

If it was suicide, it was one hell of an elaborate scene.

I'm not sure he was murdered by mafia hitmen (although possible), but I think it was murder. My guess is that while he was filling his car with gas he saw or heard something pertaining to illegal activity. It could have been trespassers or a drug deal or something, but I don't buy the suicide explanation at all.

Really? Leave the gas hose in the car then walk out and shoot yourself? No way.

[MegtheEgg86]

The suicide theory seemed pretty silly to me, too. It's been a very long time since I have seen the segment. Was there anything mentioned about a shell casing being found?

[justins5256]

It's been years since I watched this case, so my thoughts here are just based on my vague recollections of the segment and some of the comments already posted which I have read.

Someone mentioned that O'Mara was contemplating retiring soon. Is it possible that O'Mara did intend to commit suicide, but was afraid that his family would not get his pension if his death was determined to be by his own hand? If that is the case, he would probably stage a murder or accident type scenario.

Just a thought.

[TheCars1986]

Ok, after some thought, I've decided that there are only three possible reasons/scenarios for O'Mara's unfortunate death. I'll try to nitpick each one the best that I can based off of what was on the UM segment and the few scattered articles over the internet.

Scenario# 1: Accidental death. O'Mara's activities before leaving the house (eating dinner with his family, borrowing cash to go buy frozen yogurt for desert, and filling up his car with gas) give every indication that he planned on coming back that night. I suppose it's possible that O'Mara went to the service station to fill his car up, saw or heard something that he thought was suspicious, grabbed his gun and a flashlight and then went to investigate. While walking, he somehow slips and his gun discharges shooting him in the head, and he falls down on the rock dead.

There are several problems with this scenario. For one, the gun was said to have been held 2-4 inches away from O'Mara's head when it was fired. I can't see how, in the process of slipping and falling, O'Mara's gun would have been able to shoot him precisely in the middle of the head. Not to mention that his body was found slumped over a rock, which also makes the "accident" theory less likely. I know there is no "set way" for a body to fall after being shot, but for both of these things to have happened just seems close to impossible. I've also read online that O'Mara was adamantly against using or carrying guns. So what exactly could O'Mara have seen/heard that night to cause him to grab his gun and flashlight to go investigate? It was nighttime, behind a courthouse, in a county service station that was used by police officers and county workers. If O'Mara heard a noise in this location would he really have been so quick to grab his gun and go check it out? And what exactly could he have seen to make him grab a gun and flashlight?

Scenario #2: Murder. UM portrayed O'Mara as a tough as nails, by the book cop who cracked down on corruption and organized crime in Cook County, Illionois. Some of O'Mara's co-workers theorized that he may have busted one one of these criminals who held a grudge and wanted him dead. There was also talks of rampant police corruption (accepting payoffs from these crime figures), and its alleged to have been at its peak around the same time O'Mara was killed. So the theory is that O'Mara found out about a fellow officer taking bribes/payoffs from one of these mobsters, and he was killed to be silenced by someone in the police department. (There's a lengthy article that goes into detail about the police corruption and O'Mara's death here: http://www.ipsn.org/omara.php) O'Mara's family and friends all contend that he was not suicidal and that he was making plans for his future after his eventual retirement. Plus, as mentioned above O'Mara borrowed money from his wife for frozen yogurt before he left, giving every indication he was going to return. Also, the medical examiner that O'Mara's wife hired to review the coroner's report stated that he had several bruises on his face, as if he was beat before he was shot. This could not have happened unless he was murdered.

There are problems with the murder theory as well. Other than O'Mara's wife, who would have known where he was going that evening? What if O'Mara simply went to a busy grocery store and then right back home? Would the killer/s really have had the time to overtake him and then kill him without being seen by anyone? And just how lucky are these killers for O'Mara to pick such a remote, abandoned place like a service station used by police officers? Unless of course we are to believe that a police officer was involved in his murder. But that doesn't explain the one eyewitness (mentioned in the article I posted a link to above) who said he saw a "dark car" pull up to the gas pump and then shortly after going inside his home he heard a gunshot. This eyewitness makes no mention of seeing anyone else, hearing anyone else, or seeing any other cars in the parking lot behind the courthouse. If he were the target of a hit, his killer/s certainly wouldn't have been on foot that night. Also, if O'Mara saw/heard something that spooked him, just how easy would it have been for someone to overtake him since he was armed? Let's say O'Mara was surprised by someone or a group of people who were possibly armed. How did they get the drop on him? And if their plan was to make his death look like a suicide, why did they allegedly beat the crap out of him before they shot him? And how would they have been able to wrestle the gun away from O'Mara, subdue him, then shoot him without leaving behind any physical evidence nor any evidence that a struggle even happened? The parking lot and area that O'Mara's body was found it was described as "well lit", so how would someone have been able to surprise him anyway? The investigating officers also stated that there was simply no evidence that any other person was there in the field with O'Mara that night, which also hurts the murder theory. Finally, that web article mentions that O'Mara first went to his offices (where he had a side business, running a private security firm) and stayed there for about a half an hour. Why wasn't he killed there? The article also mentions that he notified a police dispatcher that he was on duty shortly after he left his office around 8:30 p.m. (The article states that every Cook County police officer assigned to a "permanent squad" was required to advise a dispatch that he was on duty, I'm guessing anytime they were armed.) While it's possible that a fellow police officer who wanted O'Mara dead for whatever reason heard this dispatch, that wouldn't make any sense if his death was a planned hit. What luck is it for whomever wanting him dead to A. hear the dispatch or learn about it, B. high tail it to the service station or be that close in proximity to make it there before O'Mara did, and C. get the drop on him, murder him, stage the scene and cover it up without leaving any trace evidence behind or being seen by anyone?

That's it for now, I'll get into scenario #3 (suicide) later...

[TheCars1986]

Continued...

Scenario #3: Suicide. The police theorized in the UM segment that O'Mara committed suicide and made it look like a murder by staging this elaborate scene of going to get gas, holding the gun away from his head, etc. because he was depressed for unknown reasons. They also came to the conclusion of suicide because there just was no evidence whatsoever that any other person was in that area (besides O'Mara himself) when he is alleged to have killed himself. And two different coroner's reports both concluded that the result of O'Mara's death was a suicide.

Again, there are holes in this scenario as well. First we have the relatives and friends of O'Mara. His wife would know if he was depressed or feeling down, and she says that the last time she saw him he borrowed the money for yogurt and everything seemed perfectly routine and normal. Other relatives have stated he had plans for his retirement and his possible relocation to Florida. Others have stated that he had plans on becoming a police chief in a nearby jurisdiction someday. Not one single person that actually knew O'Mara had any indication that anything was amiss. I do know that suicidal people can be highly unpredictable, yet there was not one person who came forward and said O'Mara was "unhappy", "aloof", or "depressed". Everyone described him as happy, content, and looking forward to retirement. Not exactly the way you would describe a suicidal person. Also, we have the odd nature in which he would have had to have positioned the gun to kill himself. He would have had to have used two hands to point the gun towards his forehead and have used his thumb/s to squeeze the trigger. A very odd position for someone to use who's about to kill themselves. Another small but important clue is the fact that he brought his flashlight with him. Why is this necessary? He already had his car parked at a gas pump, and if his intent was to make it look like a homicide, would he really be that quick minded to remember to bring his flashlight along to make it look like he was "investigating" something? That doesn't really make any sense. And who actually would tell their loved ones they'd be back with yogurt if they planned on killing themselves all along? And if we are to believe suicide, how do we account for the bruises on O'Mara's face?

IMHO, there are inconsistencies in every theory. And I honestly don't believe we'll ever know 100% what happened that fateful night. On the surface, after watching UM almost instantly you think he was murdered. Hell, so did I. But after reading that article I wasn't so sure anymore. It just seems way too risky for someone to jump him and murder him at a service station that was frequented by police officers. What would have happened if an officer pulled up in the middle of his murder? There certainly were better opportunities (like when he was alone at his office at his private security firm before he went to the service station), and if the murderers intended to make it look like a suicide they did one hell of a sloppy job by shooting him in an awkward place. Unless of course we are to believe that every police officer was in on this, which I find highly unlikely. If one of their own were truely murdered, don't you think that would be priority #1 by finding his killer? Even if there was massive corruption going on in Cook County law enforcement, not everyone would have been corrupt. I'm sure others would have spoke out by now, especially if this hit was carried out by a low level criminal on the mob circuit. People talk. There's also the possibility that he was actually killed by a fellow police officer, but that doesn't really hold water either. By 1988, O'Mara was on desk duty. How could an officer on desk duty find out about some massive conspiracy? Not saying it's not impossible, just highly unlikely. And O'Mara was with the CCPD for 27 years, don't you think he would have uncovered this corruption sooner?

So what do I think happened? I honestly think O'Mara took his own life. People who are contemplating suicide are almost never rational in their thought process. And a lot of times, their relatives and loved ones never see it coming. I think that was the case here. I think O'Mara put up a front with his family and friends to try and hide some type of depression building inside of him. What caused the depression? I can only speculate. It may have been the fact that after 20 some years of excellent service in law enforcement (his by the book breaking up Cook County corruption not only earned him the respect of his colleagues but also the "hoods" that were involved in criminal activity) being relegated to desk duty was too much for him. Or perhaps his private security firm was faltering and he was losing money. He had planned on shutting the firm down due to "financial reversals and personal reasons" shortly before he died. IMO, I think O'Mara was depressed about one or both (or something unrelated that we know nothing about) of these things. I think it was slowly building up in him over time. I do not think he had planned on taking his life when he left for frozen yogurt that night. However, he did make a stop to his offices at his security firm. What he was doing there, I don't know. But let's just say he made a discovery that he lost more money than he thought, or he discovered a financial "blunder" so to speak. This sets him over the edge. He radios in to the dispatch that he is on duty, possibly even saying where he intended to go. He knows that if he kills himself, his family won't receive his pension benefits. The pension would have been the quickest solution to the financial problems he's having. So he figures if he kills himself he has to make it look like a murder. I believe this is why he chose the service station, and why the appearance of "getting gas" and "investigating" was concocted. I think he chose the service station because he knew it would be isolated at that time of night, and also figured the odds were high that a police officer would have discovered his body. I also believe this is why he positioned the gun at such an awkward angle, he was trying to make it look like a murder.

None of us know for certain what was going in O'Mara's mind that night. And I also know that each possible scenario involving O'Mara's death has unexplainable holes. But in all probability, I think he was facing a debt or financial burden, and the only way out of that was to kill himself but to do so to make it look like a murder so his family would have received his pension. I think this case is very similiar to the Ed Baker case. The evidence for murder just wasn't there. Sure there were some nice conspiracy plots bantered around, but there was no concrete physical evidence tying anyone to the crimce scene, nor was there any indication that anyone besides O'Mara was at the crime scene that night. And until there is new evidence brought to light (besides hearsay) to support murder, I don't think we can call this anything other than suicide.

[TheCars1986]

Any new thoughts/updates on this case?

[Francium]

Continued...

Scenario #3: Suicide. The police theorized in the UM segment that O'Mara committed suicide and made it look like a murder by staging this elaborate scene of going to get gas, holding the gun away from his head, etc. because he was depressed for unknown reasons. They also came to the conclusion of suicide because there just was no evidence whatsoever that any other person was in that area (besides O'Mara himself) when he is alleged to have killed himself. And two different coroner's reports both concluded that the result of O'Mara's death was a suicide.

Again, there are holes in this scenario as well. First we have the relatives and friends of O'Mara. His wife would know if he was depressed or feeling down, and she says that the last time she saw him he borrowed the money for yogurt and everything seemed perfectly routine and normal. Other relatives have stated he had plans for his retirement and his possible relocation to Florida. Others have stated that he had plans on becoming a police chief in a nearby jurisdiction someday. Not one single person that actually knew O'Mara had any indication that anything was amiss. I do know that suicidal people can be highly unpredictable, yet there was not one person who came forward and said O'Mara was "unhappy", "aloof", or "depressed". Everyone described him as happy, content, and looking forward to retirement. Not exactly the way you would describe a suicidal person. Also, we have the odd nature in which he would have had to have positioned the gun to kill himself. He would have had to have used two hands to point the gun towards his forehead and have used his thumb/s to squeeze the trigger. A very odd position for someone to use who's about to kill themselves. Another small but important clue is the fact that he brought his flashlight with him. Why is this necessary? He already had his car parked at a gas pump, and if his intent was to make it look like a homicide, would he really be that quick minded to remember to bring his flashlight along to make it look like he was "investigating" something? That doesn't really make any sense. And who actually would tell their loved ones they'd be back with yogurt if they planned on killing themselves all along? And if we are to believe suicide, how do we account for the bruises on O'Mara's face?

IMHO, there are inconsistencies in every theory. And I honestly don't believe we'll ever know 100% what happened that fateful night. On the surface, after watching UM almost instantly you think he was murdered. Hell, so did I. But after reading that article I wasn't so sure anymore. It just seems way too risky for someone to jump him and murder him at a service station that was frequented by police officers. What would have happened if an officer pulled up in the middle of his murder? There certainly were better opportunities (like when he was alone at his office at his private security firm before he went to the service station), and if the murderers intended to make it look like a suicide they did one hell of a sloppy job by shooting him in an awkward place. Unless of course we are to believe that every police officer was in on this, which I find highly unlikely. If one of their own were truely murdered, don't you think that would be priority #1 by finding his killer? Even if there was massive corruption going on in Cook County law enforcement, not everyone would have been corrupt. I'm sure others would have spoke out by now, especially if this hit was carried out by a low level criminal on the mob circuit. People talk. There's also the possibility that he was actually killed by a fellow police officer, but that doesn't really hold water either. By 1988, O'Mara was on desk duty. How could an officer on desk duty find out about some massive conspiracy? Not saying it's not impossible, just highly unlikely. And O'Mara was with the CCPD for 27 years, don't you think he would have uncovered this corruption sooner?

So what do I think happened? I honestly think O'Mara took his own life. People who are contemplating suicide are almost never rational in their thought process. And a lot of times, their relatives and loved ones never see it coming. I think that was the case here. I think O'Mara put up a front with his family and friends to try and hide some type of depression building inside of him. What caused the depression? I can only speculate. It may have been the fact that after 20 some years of excellent service in law enforcement (his by the book breaking up Cook County corruption not only earned him the respect of his colleagues but also the "hoods" that were involved in criminal activity) being relegated to desk duty was too much for him. Or perhaps his private security firm was faltering and he was losing money. He had planned on shutting the firm down due to "financial reversals and personal reasons" shortly before he died. IMO, I think O'Mara was depressed about one or both (or something unrelated that we know nothing about) of these things. I think it was slowly building up in him over time. I do not think he had planned on taking his life when he left for frozen yogurt that night. However, he did make a stop to his offices at his security firm. What he was doing there, I don't know. But let's just say he made a discovery that he lost more money than he thought, or he discovered a financial "blunder" so to speak. This sets him over the edge. He radios in to the dispatch that he is on duty, possibly even saying where he intended to go. He knows that if he kills himself, his family won't receive his pension benefits. The pension would have been the quickest solution to the financial problems he's having. So he figures if he kills himself he has to make it look like a murder. I believe this is why he chose the service station, and why the appearance of "getting gas" and "investigating" was concocted. I think he chose the service station because he knew it would be isolated at that time of night, and also figured the odds were high that a police officer would have discovered his body. I also believe this is why he positioned the gun at such an awkward angle, he was trying to make it look like a murder.

None of us know for certain what was going in O'Mara's mind that night. And I also know that each possible scenario involving O'Mara's death has unexplainable holes. But in all probability, I think he was facing a debt or financial burden, and the only way out of that was to kill himself but to do so to make it look like a murder so his family would have received his pension. I think this case is very similiar to the Ed Baker case. The evidence for murder just wasn't there. Sure there were some nice conspiracy plots bantered around, but there was no concrete physical evidence tying anyone to the crimce scene, nor was there any indication that anyone besides O'Mara was at the crime scene that night. And until there is new evidence brought to light (besides hearsay) to support murder, I don't think we can call this anything other than suicide.

That's what I was thinking too. Very well thought out response. The fact is, all actions that night point toward a man who was trying to cover up his own suicide in an attempt to make it look like murder. The car pulling up is an unexplainable oddity, but I'm not sure what that really means. Also, I just can't imagine an officer of his experience being taken out so easily, without any signs of a struggle or screams. Lastly, the investigator noted he had no financial problems, but that is a subjective argument. Some think their own financial problems are worse than they really are. You showed that his personal business was losing money and even had a quote of him alluding to that. In truth, I doubt he and his wife communicated all that much, which was typical then of working class couples.

[stackfan]

There were powder burns on his hands, guys. Moreover, he knew how to commit suicide and make it look like a homicide. If i had to bet, he wanted to end it all and make sure his wife got his life insurance money, so he did it this way. Besides, if it was the mob, in fact if it were anyone, how would they have been able to use his own gun in the way they did? Not buying murder here...

[buckeyeblogger]

There were powder burns on his hands, guys. Moreover, he knew how to commit suicide and make it look like a homicide. If i had to bet, he wanted to end it all and make sure his wife got his life insurance money, so he did it this way. Besides, if it was the mob, in fact if it were anyone, how would they have been able to use his own gun in the way they did? Not buying murder here...

This.

[MegtheEgg86]

There were powder burns on his hands, guys. Moreover, he knew how to commit suicide and make it look like a homicide. If i had to bet, he wanted to end it all and make sure his wife got his life insurance money, so he did it this way. Besides, if it was the mob, in fact if it were anyone, how would they have been able to use his own gun in the way they did? Not buying murder here...

That proves he fired a weapon. It does not prove he committed suicide.

In fact, Dr. DiMaio explained that O'Mara didn't have a contact gunshot wound to his head, whereas in the vast majority of suicides-by-handgun, the end of the barrel is held directly against the skin, or placed inside the mouth.

Also, why take a flashlight with you to a field you probably know pretty well (given you fill your duty vehicle next to it on a very frequent basis) if you're just going out there to kill yourself? That indicates to me he might have been looking for something or someone.

I think Mike O'Mara met nearly the same fate as Ralph Probst--another Cook County Sheriff's Deputy who was a pain in the rear for local organized crime, especially those involved in racketeering. O'Mara made an entire career taking those people down. I think O'Mara did not commit suicide, and I think his death might be related to Probst's.

[MegtheEgg86]

This is a really, really informative article:

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1994-02-16/features/9402160107_1_ranking-officer-police-department-recalls

Also, I found this extremely interesting:

"The fatal bullet was never found. So there was no way to know for sure it came from O'Mara's gun, which had one round missing."

[MegtheEgg86]

As to stackfan's idea that O'Mara killed himself in order to ensure his wife received insurance money:

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1990-09-13/news/9003160972_1_suicide-investigators-insurance-benefits

Mrs. O'Mara would've received no insurance benefits under those circumstances, as is the case with many life insurance policies.

Also from the article, emphasis my own:

The sheriff`s department was able to collect little physical evidence that night. The bullet, which had passed through O`Mara`s body, was never found, preventing a determination as to whether it had come from O`Mara`s gun. Moreover, tests did not conclude whether O`Mara had held and fired his own service revolver. Investigators said the fingerprints on the weapon were too poor to match and that there were insufficient quantities of chemicals on his hand to indicate he had fired a weapon.

``We have no conclusive evidence that his gun was the weapon,``

Undersheriff Bernard said.

Sheriff`s police never checked O`Mara`s police car for fingerprints, Bernard added. Although it was parked about 50 feet from where O`Mara`s body was found, Bernard said, it ``was not part of the crime scene.``

Someone killed Mike O'Mara in that field that night, and it looks a lot like there was an attempt at a coverup by the investigators. I don't doubt that in the least.

[QuenSolen]

I agree with Meg.

TheCars1986, you questioned why else he would choose that remote service station but to kill himself. Well it's possible he chose that location to meet somebody. An informant of some kind would most likely want to meet at a remote area such as that. Just because Captain O'Mara was behind a desk and close to retirement doesn't mean he couldn't have stumbled onto something.

I admit having the nozzle in the tank still doesn't quite fit...unless he was taken by surprise. If he was meeting an informant he would have his gun on his person/at the ready, so perhaps the gun was taken by force. Since he had powder burns perhaps it went off in a struggle.

I just find it hard to believe that if it was suicide he: 1. Had shown no outward signs of being depressed or unhappy. 2. Chose a night when he would've been expected home with a treat for the family. 3. Set up the scene so that it DIDN'T look like a clear cut case of murder and allowed speculation on suicide. As a cop surely he would have the experience to set up the scene better.

[MegtheEgg86]

I just find it hard to believe that if it was suicide he: 1. Had shown no outward signs of being depressed or unhappy.

Yes. I think this is one of the biggest--if not THE biggest--piece of information that points away from suicide.

Suicidal individuals WILL indicate what they're planning to do long before they actually follow through with it. Maybe not everyone in that person's life will observe any unusual behaviors, but those closest to the individual in question almost certainly will. By all accounts, O'Mara was close to his wife and family. Every member of that family--and some outside the family--were bewildered that suicide was even a possibility. As recounted, he had absolutely none of the largest risk factors in his life: no financial problems, no terminal illness, no feelings of worthlessness, no mental illness, not even a "high risk lifestyle" and the accompanying drug/alcohol abuse, criminal involvement, sexual promiscuity, and other such high-risk activities. More than one person cited O'Mara's deeply-held religious belief that suicide is a grave sin, and such religio-cultural beliefs are actually a protective factor against suicide, along with strong family support and strong problem-solving skills, which wouldn't be unthinkable to observe in a police officer of O'Mara's apparent caliber.


http://www.cdc.gov/ViolencePrevention/suicide/riskprotectivefactors.html


The fact of the matter is that is it ridiculous to assert that O'Mara--or ANYONE, for that matter--committed suicide when there is absolutely no clinical evidence to support that conclusion. Rather, it's adopting a theory, for whatever reason, and conjuring up ideas, what-ifs, and notions that support that predetermined conclusion. You might as well say that man died of congestive heart failure. Both conclusions have about the same amount of supporting evidence.

[WishfulDreamer]

I have never thought this case was a suicide. I'll post more later but I have time to write on one piece that bothers me about the theory. LE believes that O'Mara told his wife he was going to pick up frozen yogurt for the family just as a ruse to leave the house and make it seem like a murder occurred while he was out, setting the stage if you will. I have always thought that this theory holds no water. If he wanted to kill himself for insurance benefits or in order to have his family not be upset that he killed himself, I think that would have been the WORST way to go about it. He borrowed pocket money from the wife to buy the frozen yogurt and clearly his family was expecting him back- that would make it all the more devastating to his family, because they would believe he was killed running a brief errand. Also, where is the evidence that this was a lie and he was planning to kill himself the whole time? I really feel LE jumped to conclusions on this one. We have no evidence whatsoever to indicate that he was suicidal and that his wounds were self-inflicted. Powder burns on his hands mean he fired the weapon- but it has never been proven just who he fired at.

[TheCars1986]

O'Mara's wife would have received the pension benefits if his cause of death was declared a homicide. Since it was ruled "suicide", it took her awhile to collect his benefits. This is why I think O'Mara shot himself in such an odd way, to make it appear that he was investigating something and to make his death look like a murder. His briefcase was not touched, his wallet was undisturbed, and his gun had fired one shot. There was no evidence of any struggle at the scene, and IIRC, the investigator interviewed said there was no evidence of anyone other than O'Mara being at the scene at the time of his shooting. I just don't think the evidence for murder is there. Somebody wanted a cop relegated to desk duty dead for things he did 20+ years ago? Why not kill him when he was in his prime? And why the remote location (frequented by police officers)? What would have spooked a guy (who admittedly did not like guns) into grabbing his gun to go investigate at a police filling station? And who would have known that O'Mara was going to be at that filling station at the time of his murder? Considering that the cop who found his body showed up "minutes" after he radioed the dispatcher that he was in service, the likelihood of a murderer intercepting O'Mara and getting away is IMO highly unlikely.

EDIT: There was also an eye/ear witness who saw a "dark car" pull into the service station and then shortly after heard one single gunshot. O'Mara's gun was fired once, and there were powder burns on his hands. So if there was one gunshot heard, how exactly was O'Mara murdered? Did his killer/s hold his hands and aim the gun at his head? I'm not an expert on firearms, so I might be wrong, but if O'Mara simply fired his weapon with one hand (presumeably at an assailaint if you believe the murder theory), then there shouldn't be powder burns on both hands. But if he held the gun with boths hands away from his forehead, this would explain the powder burns on both hands.

[MegtheEgg86]

O'Mara's wife would have received the pension benefits if his cause of death was declared a homicide. Since it was ruled "suicide", it took her awhile to collect his benefits.

Pension benefits from Cook County? I'm confused on what you mean. It's unusual for retired police officers to receive large pensions, and they often start second careers. Look at the way they're paid when they're working full-time, after all.

Barbara O'Mara actually sued the insurance company because it refused to pay. One would reasonably assume one or both of them had to be aware of the provisions of the double-indemnity rider--especially the one who allegedly intended his wife to receive the benefits upon his death!

This is why I think O'Mara shot himself in such an odd way, to make it appear that he was investigating something and to make his death look like a murder. His briefcase was not touched, his wallet was undisturbed, and his gun had fired one shot. There was no evidence of any struggle at the scene, and IIRC, the investigator interviewed said there was no evidence of anyone other than O'Mara being at the scene at the time of his shooting.

About that investigator: he's interesting folk. You can read more about him in the articles I previously posted.

It's been more than once that someone has been murdered and their belongings have been left untouched and intact. Again, the lone fact that one round was missing from his magazine is not evidence that he killed himself, no matter how badly one wants it to be.

I just don't think the evidence for murder is there. Somebody wanted a cop relegated to desk duty dead for things he did 20+ years ago? Why not kill him when he was in his prime? And why the remote location (frequented by police officers)?

I would check out some resources on some elements of the Cook County Sheriff's Police and of the Chicago PD, and their interesting co-mingling with organized crime, mainly involving sports tampering and other fixed bets. I'm not saying it's the reason why Mike O'Mara was killed, just that there is evidence to suggest that his agency included very corrupt individuals.

What would have spooked a guy (who admittedly did not like guns) into grabbing his gun to go investigate at a police filling station?

I would pose this to you: what would have compelled a guy who admittedly did not like guns to kill himself with a gun?

And who would have known that O'Mara was going to be at that filling station at the time of his murder?

Someone who was or had been watching him. It does happen.

Considering that the cop who found his body showed up "minutes" after he radioed the dispatcher that he was in service, the likelihood of a murderer intercepting O'Mara and getting away is IMO highly unlikely.

You walk up, you shoot him in the head (perhaps with a silenced weapon), you walk away. Isn't that exactly what happened to Roger Wheeler? And THAT happened in the middle of the afternoon in the middle of an active golf course and country club.

EDIT: There was also an eye/ear witness who saw a "dark car" pull into the service station and then shortly after heard one single gunshot. O'Mara's gun was fired once, and there were powder burns on his hands. So if there was one gunshot heard, how exactly was O'Mara murdered? Did his killer/s hold his hands and aim the gun at his head? I'm not an expert on firearms, so I might be wrong, but if O'Mara simply fired his weapon with one hand (presumeably at an assailaint if you believe the murder theory), then there shouldn't be powder burns on both hands. But if he held the gun with boths hands away from his forehead, this would explain the powder burns on both hands.

No one who has been properly educated/trained fires a handgun with one hand, especially not a police officer. BOTH hands are on the weapon--one to pull the trigger, and one for support. Both hands, therefore, should almost always have residue on them (unless, interestingly enough, they have committed suicide with the weapon).

The eye/earwitness I can't speak to. I can say a silenced weapon wouldn't be heard even from a relatively short distance away.

[TheCars1986]

Pension benefits from Cook County? I'm confused on what you mean. It's unusual for retired police officers to receive large pensions, and they often start second careers. Look at the way they're paid when they're working full-time, after all.

Barbara O'Mara actually sued the insurance company because it refused to pay. One would reasonably assume one or both of them had to be aware of the provisions of the double-indemnity rider--especially the one who allegedly intended his wife to receive the benefits upon his death!

If he planned on killing himself to make it look like a murder, then that thought would have never crossed his mind. This is why I think he took the flashlight with him, to make it appear that he was investigating something.

About that investigator: he's interesting folk. You can read more about him in the articles I previously posted.

It's been more than once that someone has been murdered and their belongings have been left untouched and intact. Again, the lone fact that one round was missing from his magazine is not evidence that he killed himself, no matter how badly one wants it to be.

Well the same could be said for the murder theory. There's no evidence to suggest that he fired his weapon at anyone other than himself. If O'Mara had a price tag on his head for whatever reason, don't most "hits" involve someone taking something (money, valuables) to make it look like a robbery?

I would check out some resources on some elements of the Cook County Sheriff's Police and of the Chicago PD, and their interesting co-mingling with organized crime, mainly involving sports tampering and other fixed bets. I'm not saying it's the reason why Mike O'Mara was killed, just that there is evidence to suggest that his agency included very corrupt individuals.

I don't doubt that there were corrupt inviduals in his agency. I just don't see why anyone would want a cop who was on desk duty murdered.

I would pose this to you: what would have compelled a guy who admittedly did not like guns to kill himself with a gun?

To either make it look like an accident, or a murder. Even in the article you posted, O'Mara's wife's cousin makes an odd remark about how O'Mara could have made his death look like an accident. This may have been his intention as well.

Someone who was or had been watching him. It does happen.

Yes it does. But that article (and the one I referenced) make mention of O'Mara stopping at his private security firm before heading back home. If someone was following him and wanted him dead, this would have been a prime opportunity to kill him, since no one other than O'Mara would have been around. At a service station frequented by police officers, the risk of being caught would have been significantly greater than a building in which O'Mara was the only one present.

You walk up, you shoot him in the head (perhaps with a silenced weapon), you walk away. Isn't that exactly what happened to Roger Wheeler? And THAT happened in the middle of the afternoon in the middle of an active golf course and country club.

Based off of the crime scene, it doesn't appear it was that easy. O'Mara was slumped over a rock, his gun and flashlight next to his body. It just seems weird to me that he would be out filling his car, then he hears a noise or sees someone to immediately grab his gun and his flashlight to go check it out. Why did he not radio in to report suspicious activity before going to investigate? IMO, unless he heard screams, I can't think of anything that would have warranted that reaction out of him. Especially at a gas station used by cops and county workers.

No one who has been properly educated/trained fires a handgun with one hand, especially not a police officer. BOTH hands are on the weapon--one to pull the trigger, and one for support. Both hands, therefore, should almost always have residue on them (unless, interestingly enough, they have committed suicide with the weapon).

The eye/earwitness I can't speak to. I can say a silenced weapon wouldn't be heard even from a relatively short distance away.

O'Mara could have held both hands on the gun and shot himself. It would have been extremely odd, but it still could have been accomplished. Especially if he was trying to make it seem like he was the victim of foul play or an accident.

The eyewitness is important because he heard a shot shortly after O'Mara pulled into the service station. The time frame, IMO, is just way to short for something to have occurred (that would make O'Mara draw his weapon and actually fire it) other than O'Mara shooting himself. In the case of Ralph Probst, they actually had a prime suspect. With O'Mara we only have innuendo and possible links to his past. No one came forward and said "so and so said he wanted O'Mara dead". The murder theory just seems too thin in this case. Nobody thought Tony Lombardi was suicidal either, yet many on here believe he shot himself. And absent of the fact that his private security firm was faltering financially, we really don't know if there were other factors involved that could have drove him to suicide, since the UM segment was slanted more in favor of the murder theory.

[MegtheEgg86]

The long and short of it is this: there's no apparent motive either way. There's no apparent motive for him to have committed suicide. There's no apparent motive for him to have been murdered. Given what's presented, however, it looks like murder to me, and I say that primarily because of the gross lack of evidence that O'Mara was suicidal at the time of his death in addition to details about O'Mara's activities that night (taking the money for yogurt, leaving the gas pump in the car--filling UP the car for that matter, the flashlight). It is futile to speculate on how someone might have killed himself--or why someone might have killed himself--if there is no evidence to support the fact that the individual was suicidal at the time of his death. By all accounts, O'Mara was happy, looking forward to a new job teaching criminology in Florida, and making other plans for his future. That is NOT how a suicidal individual behaves.

Bear in mind, it was UM that implied O'Mara "might" have been despondent over being "relegated" to a desk job. Did O'Mara even give two flips about manning a desk for a little while as he was on the verge of retiring and starting a new career anyway? I suppose we'll never know. From what I've seen and read, it sure as hell doesn't really look like it, IMO.

[TheCars1986]

The long and short of it is this: there's no apparent motive either way. There's no apparent motive for him to have committed suicide. There's no apparent motive for him to have been murdered. Given what's presented, however, it looks like murder to me, and I say that primarily because of the gross lack of evidence that O'Mara was suicidal at the time of his death in addition to details about O'Mara's activities that night (taking the money for yogurt, leaving the gas pump in the car--filling UP the car for that matter, the flashlight). It is futile to speculate on how someone might have killed himself--or why someone might have killed himself--if there is no evidence to support the fact that the individual was suicidal at the time of his death. By all accounts, O'Mara was happy, looking forward to a new job teaching criminology in Florida, and making other plans for his future. That is NOT how a suicidal individual behaves.

Bear in mind, it was UM that implied O'Mara "might" have been despondent over being "relegated" to a desk job. Did O'Mara even give two flips about manning a desk for a little while as he was on the verge of retiring and starting a new career anyway? I suppose we'll never know. From what I've seen and read, it sure as hell doesn't really look like it, IMO.

I wholeheartedly agree about the lack of motive either way. I just think the lack of any real suspects, or anyone who would have wanted O'Mara dead, is what makes this more likely a suicide or accident. We don't know why O'Mara stopped off at his private security firm that night. UM didn't even mention this in their segment, they made it seem like he went out to get yogurt and then return back home. I was going to rewatch this case because I haven't seen it in awhile, but all of the segments are gone from the forbidden website.

[MegtheEgg86]

I wholeheartedly agree about the lack of motive either way. I just think the lack of any real suspects, or anyone who would have wanted O'Mara dead, is what makes this more likely a suicide or accident. We don't know why O'Mara stopped off at his private security firm that night. UM didn't even mention this in their segment, they made it seem like he went out to get yogurt and then return back home.

Yeah, they did completely leave out his stopping by his security firm. They actually left out his security firm entirely, I think. I think that might provide an interesting facet to the case that we didn't get exposed to, unfortunately.