David Torrence's Death Ruled an Accidental Drowning, But For His Family Questions Remain Because Of Death Threats

I don't think it's very likely to make a death look accidental but I have NO knowledge about that one way or the other. That's just my hunch. But I assume there likely would be a struggle or some signs of foul play. That's why I said I think it's most likely accidental.

At the same time I know the investigator did not get the facebook records for months when there was no autopsy results known despite there being a possible death threat. I think that is irresponsible.

Once again I have no idea how "professional" or "thorough" someone would have to be to leave no trail or what sort of evidence is left at a crime scene. I do know that law enforcement operated under the assumption the death was accidental and I feel needs to investigate things further. For MONTHS without an autopsy result known and there being possible death threats, they didn't try and look at a possible digital trail regarding death threats. Now if the evidence was so thorough at the scene that nothing needed to be looked into further then they should tell David's mother, "you know what. There is no way anything could have happened. We a) don't need to wait for the autopsy" (But it sounds like that wasn't the case). so they could have said "b) all that matters is the autopsy result" but if that's the case then why mention David didn't consider the threats serious? Everything should be looked at and I feel they didn't look at one thing.

When someone dies unexpectedly and there were possible death threats made online, they should be looked at. I have no problem with the family or close to David expressing this and agree with it (even if David most likely died of natural freakish causes).

I just want this looked at as I know that there are anti-doping informants who fear for their lives and chose to stay anonymous.

It's worse than you said wrote:

former USMC rifleman wrote:

Finally, Brojos and their friends on LetsRun are speculating that the hit was so thorough and so professional, it doesn't appear to be a murder to local law enforcement.

Don't forget their most genius move: Threatening him on Facebook a year before they killed him.

As I've said the threats could be separate from what happened to David (even if the unlikely case the death wasn't accidental). I just want the threats looked into. I don't want to live in a society where someone can make such threats and get away with them.

[quote]wejo wrote:

At the same time I know the investigator did not get the facebook records for months when there was no autopsy results known despite there being a possible death threat. I think that is irresponsible.

[quote]

You are assuming the investigator didn’t speak with the medical examiner before getting the official report or otherwise have a good idea of what it would say. I don’t think that’s a safe assumption. I’d bet you a dollar she had a damn good idea of what the result would be long before getting the paperwork. If the investigator truly had no idea what the result would be and didn’t follow up on death threat lead then she should probably be fired.

Wejo, as one of the founders/owners of this site, you really need a higher standard before posting stuff like this. Seriously, you guys have definitely made it harder for his mom to find some peace. It's natural to want to blame someone for a tragedy like this and for someone to be held accountable, I completely understand what the mom is going though here. But she is never going to work through her grief when a prominent website for distance running runs pieces like this.

smh x 100 wrote:

Wejo, as one of the founders/owners of this site, you really need a higher standard before posting stuff like this. Seriously, you guys have definitely made it harder for his mom to find some peace. It's natural to want to blame someone for a tragedy like this and for someone to be held accountable, I completely understand what the mom is going though here. But she is never going to work through her grief when a prominent website for distance running runs pieces like this.

Jon talked to David's mom multiple times about the story. She expressed her frustration with the investigation which is why we published her concerns. If she was happy with the investigation the story would have been very different.

wejo wrote:

It's worse than you said wrote:

Don't forget their most genius move: Threatening him on Facebook a year before they killed him.

As I've said the threats could be separate from what happened to David (even if the unlikely case the death wasn't accidental). I just want the threats looked into. I don't want to live in a society where someone can make such threats and get away with them.

You are a freaking dolt. People make threats all the time and are never prosecuted. I've seen them here. I'd bet anything you have eve said "I'm going to kill......." in a fit of anger or mocking or joking or whatever. Do you really want the police knocking on your door for ever utterance no matter how much of it was hyperbole.

Yes credible threats need to be investigate and prosecuted. But a passing facebook threat that NO ONE has even seen. You seem to think that police departments have unlimited officers, unlimited hours in the day and unlimited budgets. newsflash, they don't.

Someone suggested that Dave's mom could certainly pay for a private investigator. People do this all the time.

As was said why don't you start a fund to pay for one? why don't you put your money where your mouth is?

How come Jonathan didn't answer your question sin his article then?

You have no idea about the entire investigation. Clearly Jonathan didn't ask the questions of the police. you make a ton of false assumptions about the investigation.

It's worse than you said wrote:

former USMC rifleman wrote:

Finally, Brojos and their friends on LetsRun are speculating that the hit was so thorough and so professional, it doesn't appear to be a murder to local law enforcement.

Don't forget their most genius move: Threatening him on Facebook a year before they killed him.

Local law enforcement? They have a * stellar * track record, don't they? we can go on & on but...

afddfadsffds wrote:

How come Jonathan didn't answer your question sin his article then?

You have no idea about the entire investigation. Clearly Jonathan didn't ask the questions of the police. you make a ton of false assumptions about the investigation.

Did you read the entire article, "Scottsdale PD declined interview requests from LetsRun.com."

What false assumptions did we make? Please be specific.

As I've said the threats could be separate from what happened to David (even if the unlikely case the death wasn't accidental). I just want the threats looked into. I don't want to live in a society where someone can make such threats and get away with them.[/quote]

You responded to me in an indirect manner.

Threats imply according to you that 1st degree murder was a possibility.

1) If someone's plan was to drown Mr. Torrence, said person would have had to know Mr. Torrence was going to swim at that time on that day or said person drowned Mr. Torrence somewhere else, then placed his remains in said apartment complex pool. [I doubt it.]

2) Mr. Torrence was given a fatal amount of poison/drug(s). Mr. Torrence decided to swim or relax in pool. The pool is coincidental. The poison/drug(s) reached critical mass while Mr. Torrence was in the pool. [I doubt it.]

This is high level stuff W. Johnson that you are stating was possible. Serious man/men or a femme fatale. No one appeared on surveillance footage. Threat or not. Mr. Johnson, you are speculating and leaving open the possibility of a Israeli Mossad, Russian FSB, Great Britian MI-6 or CIA type assassination.

From online threats to possible murder?

Can anybody elaborate on the information Torrence had on Aden and his group? If someone is willing to lie and cheat, would having someone murdered be so far fetched? It wasn't like 90% of the running community hadn't already suspected Dibaba and Mahkloufi were massive drug cheats, but maybe Torrence was the reason Aden was arrested last year.

Someone mentioned that the online threats could be related to Torrence representing Peru, but Coach Cook received threats according to the police report, so that clearly only points to someone with ties to the Aden group being the potential suspects.

Mahavishnu1500 wrote:If someone is willing to lie and cheat, would having someone murdered be so far fetched?

Yeah, I think far-fetched is exactly the right term for a PEDs user suddenly hiring a professional assassin to pull off the perfect murder of a single witness halfway across the world.

Having personal opinions doesn't mean that someone can't do a job professionally. It also doesn't mean that we're better off with a pool of journalists who are unabashedly biased, and approach everything with an agenda. The argument that a mainstream press that attempts to be unbiased in untrustworthy due to people's hidden personal opinions has been the crux of the right wing media's undermining of the press. They argue it gives them license to use their platform as a means to push a political agenda because they are "at least transparent about it." It's incredibly dangerous and resulting in a public that cannot agree on a shared set of facts. I think one could argue this approach is the greatest threat to our democracy. Of course, you and your brother have repeatedly demonstrated not only that you have no concept of the responsibilities and standards of a professional journalist, but that you have no desire to learn them.

Mahavishnu1500 wrote:

Can anybody elaborate on the information Torrence had on Aden and his group? If someone is willing to lie and cheat, would having someone murdered be so far fetched? It wasn't like 90% of the running community hadn't already suspected Dibaba and Mahkloufi were massive drug cheats, but maybe Torrence was the reason Aden was arrested last year.

Someone mentioned that the online threats could be related to Torrence representing Peru, but Coach Cook received threats according to the police report, so that clearly only points to someone with ties to the Aden group being the potential suspects.

No. You go from having an opinion G. Dibaba and Mahkloufi were drug cheats to a belief a hit was done on David Torrence. It didn't happen.

This whole flare of up of alternative causes of death are some type of cruel joke.

Of course his mother and sister are upset, they will never accept he just died. The thin veil of romance that alternative motives killed him is just preposterous and absurd.

John Cook looking for a little more time in the limelight, crooked old dog he is. David looking for headlines as well. Its funny not a single person saw his so called threats. This would be easy to research as it would be a quick forensic review of his hard drive.

Yes David ran at the mouth a little for attention, lets not sidestep the facts in trying to be nice.

If LetsRun wants to bring clarity to this case I would suggest they hire a detective agency and prepare and full compressive report of all the facts leading up to and post in any relationships with athletes and coaches. Explore grounded facts not assumptions.

The problem with the death threats angle is that you have someone who is careless enough to make death threats on Facebook and contrast that with the actual death where it would have had to have been carried out by the perfect assassin (if you buy the conspiracy theory). Some people here watch too much tv.

There sure are a lot of people shouting down looking into the Facebook messages as David's OWN mother has asked. Maybe you're affiliated with Jama Aden?

Well, I never imagined these sort of allegations, but I am pleased the tide has turned from 'back in the day' when all my posts about the hush hush-ness surrounding this were routinely deleted.

Quite a change of heart by site mgmt.