When a politician holds a big meeting for reporters, they usually expect to get attention from the media. Everything they do or say is normally recorded and everyone knows about it.
But something shocking happened during Pennsylvania Treasurer R. Budd Dwyer’s meeting on January 22, 1987. Dwyer had been found guilty of doing some bad things, and during that meeting, he did something terrible.
He took a gun, put it in his mouth, and killed himself. This awful event left newspapers and TV stations with a very hard problem to solve. They had to decide if they should share Budd Dwyer’s suicide video with everyone.
Even after 35 years, this tough choice still causes a lot of pain for those affected and teaches people important lessons about what’s right and wrong.
Who was Budd Dwyer?
Budd Dwyer was very involved in politics in a specific area called Pennsylvania. He started his political career by being elected as a member of the Republicans.
He served as a representative in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives for a few years. Later on, he won an election and became a member of the Pennsylvania State Senate. He served in this position for multiple terms.
In the year 1980, Dwyer ran for the position of Pennsylvania Treasurer and he won the election. He was successful in being reelected four years later. During this time, there was a problem with the state’s taxes and some state workers ended up paying more money than they should have in taxes.
The state hired a company called Computer Technology Associates (CTA) to figure out how to fix this and give back the extra money to the employees. CTA was based in California but owned by someone from Pennsylvania.
Later on, someone sent a letter to the governor with allegations of bribery during the process of giving the contract to CTA. In this letter, Dwyer’s name was mentioned as one of the people who received money illegally.
Dwyer said he did not do anything wrong and did not take any bribes. However, after some time, he and others were charged with the crime.
The government offered him a deal where he would admit to one charge and work with them to prove his innocence. If he took the deal, he would have to leave his job and go to prison for five years.
But Dwyer decided not to take the deal because he believed he was innocent and wanted to prove it in a trial.
Sadly, on December 18, 1986, the court found Dwyer guilty of eleven charges, including conspiracy, mail fraud, perjury, and helping a criminal organization.
The punishments for these crimes were very serious, with a maximum sentence of 55 years in prison and a big fine of $300,000. Dwyer was going to be sentenced on January 23, 1987.
The Incident
On January 22, 1987, R. Budd Dwyer, the acting Pennsylvania State Treasurer, called for a meeting at his suburban Pennsylvania home. He gathered with his press secretary James Horshock and Deputy Treasurer Don Johnson to discuss arranging a press conference concerning his ongoing legal troubles. At 47 years old, Dwyer was facing sentencing in just one week for multiple bribery-related convictions.
However, he strongly maintained his innocence throughout the entire investigation and trial. After the meeting, both Horshock and Johnson left Dwyer’s home believing that their boss would announce his resignation during the upcoming press conference on January 22.
They expected Dwyer to deliver a final statement, asserting his innocence and appealing for clemency in front of the local media. Little did they know, Dwyer had a different plan in mind. It was during this ill-fated press conference that the shocking and tragic event unfolded.
R. Budd Dwyer, in a moment of unimaginable despair, ended his own life in front of the gathered reporters and cameras. The footage of this heartbreaking incident, known as the Budd Dwyer suicide video, captures the profound shock and sorrow that reverberated throughout the room.
Budd Dwyer Suicide Video- Reactions
The media responded differently to R. Budd Dwyer’s death, and some TV stations in Pennsylvania aired parts of the press conference and the video of his suicide. It is important to clarify that the press conference was not shown live, despite what many people may believe. A few stations chose to freeze the video just before the gunshot, but the audio continued playing.
One station in Philadelphia, WPVI, aired the entire Budd Dwyer suicide video without warning during their evening broadcasts. Because of this, many copies of the video can still be found online today. Another station in Harrisburg, WHTM-TV, made the controversial decision to show the unedited video of the suicide not just once, but twice. They defended their choice by arguing that it was an important story that needed to be seen.
Unfortunately, many people, including children, who were at home due to a major snowstorm, saw the video. Richard Patrick, the lead singer of the band Filter, saw the raw footage of the suicide and shared his thoughts in a 2012 interview.
He mentioned that during his upbringing, he had never seen anything like it before, as access to disturbing content like the Budd Dwyer suicide video was not readily available. Seeing the footage at a young age made him realize how fragile life is. He described it as a morbid curiosity and even referenced the video in one of his songs, saying, “Hey man, nice shot.”
Bottom Line
The decision of whether to reveal or conceal the Budd Dwyer suicide video remains a controversial issue even after 35 years. While some media outlets aired the footage, others chose to freeze or censor it. The video’s lasting impact serves as a reminder of the ethical dilemmas faced by the media and the profound impact that such disturbing content can have on individuals.
