- Tom Sponseller, a South Carolina restaurant lobbyist, was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
In a suicide note found in his locked
desk, a South Carolina restaurant lobbyist who shot and killed himself
in a parking garage called himself "a huge disappointment" for not
discovering the theft of agency funds sooner.
The three-page, handwritten note left by Tom
Sponseller does not directly state who stole as much as $900,000 from
South Carolina Hospitality Association's coffers, but it seems to point
the finger at an employee already named by federal authorities who are
probing the theft.
In the note, obtained by NBC affiliate
WYFF-TV, the 61-year-old Air Force veteran describes Rachel Duncan, who
authorities have called a person of interest, as "like a daughter" to
him.
"It is quite disappointing that all the work
our members and staff put into building one of the best associations in
the state has been jeopardized by the stupid actions of one person and
not detected until the amount was so large the police found it first
because I had failed to make sure everything was right," Sponseller
wrote.
"I am sorry it ended like this," the note
continued. "I am a huge disappointment to everyone, my family, my
friends, business associates and others. I let everyone down and have
embarrassed those who I love the most, my wife, kids, and grandkids. I
am so sorry I have failed you. Please find a way to forgive me in your
hearts."
Duncan has a history of financial troubles.
She filed for bankruptcy in 1998 and has been charged three times with
submitting bad checks, and her home is currently being foreclosed on.
She and her attorney Greg Harris have refused comment.
"Ms. Duncan has been interviewed, and she is
a target of our financial crime investigation," U.S. Secret Service
Special Agent in Charge Michael Williams told The State newspaper.
Sponseller, who was missing for nearly 11
days before being found in a locked room off a parking garage at
association offices, is believed to have shot himself in the head,
according to Richland County Coroner Gary Watts. A 9-mm handgun was
recovered at the scene.
His Mercedes sedan was found parked in the
garage near his office, and no signs of a struggle were evident. His
cellphone and wallet were missing.
Duncan had no comment Friday when approached by Fox News outside her home in Lexington.
Sponseller is a Citadel graduate and a
former Air Force officer, according to his biography on the South
Carolina Hospitality Association's website.
Fox News' Mary Quinn O'Connor contributed to this report
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/03/01/sc-restaurant-execs-suicide-note-am-huge-disappointment/?test=latestnews#ixzz1nvk2lMhu
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