I spent a good deal of time yesterday with a reporter for a national publication who is in town to cover this story.

He told me the report that Aubrey was due in court the day he died is absolutely false.

I would've thought that if that were false (since it's been so widely reported) that surely someone representing AKM would have set the record straight by now.

Though speaking of AKM's repreaenatives, I am curious when his family or his attorneys will be making some kind of statement.

^

That "due in court / jail" bit of info was only reported one or two places, which is why I always questioned it in the first place.

Does he know when that was supposed to happen and/or turn himself in and what would have been involved in the first steps?

Does he know when that was supposed to happen and/or turn himself in and what would have been involved?

I don't believe that had been set, but I can find out.

Safe to say it was imminent, days or weeks at the most, though not as imminent as what was reported.

Safe to say it was imminent, days or weeks at the most, though not as imminent as what was reported.

I really don't know. Based on the people working on this, I think we will get some good answers soon.


One thing no one has mentioned... You know Aubrey had a solidly booked schedule pretty much all day every day. If he was heading to the Lake Arcadia area to meet with someone, you would think that info would be out by now. As in, "Aubrey was supposed to meet x at x and never showed."

Now, that may have been how the security personnel knew to report him missing. But you think they would put that info out to help dispel the suicide speculation.

When they moved the body it turned to dust

Google how cremation works and have a grain of salt ready.

Google how cremation works and have a grain of salt ready.

Pretty sure that Tahoe he was driving was a CNG vehicle.

Are we 100% positive that it was Aubrey in the Tahoe?

Google how cremation works and have a grain of salt ready. what do you mean?

Pretty sure that Tahoe he was driving was a CNG vehicle.

Are we 100% positive that it was Aubrey in the Tahoe?

Several news outlets reported yesterday that they'd positively ID'd the remains in the Tahoe at AKM using dental records.

Federal probe of bid-rigging goes beyond Aubrey McClendon | Oklahoma City - OKC - KOCO.com (http://www.koco.com/news/federal-probe-of-bidrigging-goes-beyond-aubrey-mcclendon/38343284?utm_campaign=KOCO&utm_content=56da13ae04d30170c8f7fca4&utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=trueAnthem:%2BNew%2BContent)

Interesting take on this situation.

1) Implies that joint bidding was common but the parties were required to *disclose* they were working together; 2) that what CHK and SD were doing were outside the typical industry practices; and 3) that the government had been cracking down in recent years.

It also reminds us that CHK pleaded no contest in the Michigan case and paid a $25 million fine. So clearly, they were doing things outside the law under McClendon.

Perhaps the Oklahoma lease situation was more severe and/or perhaps this recent filing was due to finding more instances and the sum total caused them to seek harsher penalties.

The frequent use of the term "bidding" by the DOJ is pretty comical as there is never a formal bidding process when leasing privately owned minerals. There is a bidding process for state and federal lands (which make up a relatively small percentage of minerals in Oklahoma), however state minerals in Oklahoma are auctioned in a sealed bid format in which anyone (not just two companies who've made an agreement) can bid on minerals that have been nominated for auction. A list of nominated minerals is released weeks in advance of the auction so any interested party has an opportunity to see what will be available. It is essentially impossible to "bid up" In a sealed bid format, anyone that would like to make a bid gets one shot to make a sealed offer on a property...the highest bid wins. Ironically, if SD and CHK, both decided to lower their bid prices for state tracts and divided an area...it would make it easier for another company swoop in and out bid them. To repeat, even if two companies create a partnership, there is nothing preventing another company or individual that is interested in the same piece of property from submitting a higher a bid on it.

Secondly, I am unaware of any kind of rule requiring parties to disclose an exploration agreement to any entity when leasing onshore private or state minerals. There may be something requiring a disclosure for auctions of onshore BLM land, but as it pertains to Oklahoma, Federal acreage makes up such a minuscule proportion of the mix in NW Oklahoma that any bids made on federal acreage would seemingly be too insignificant to garner this kind of attention from the DOJ. I have no idea if there is a disclosure rule in place for offshore acreage as I have never dealt with it.

I'm going to start another thread specifically on this topic with some thoughts on the apparent case the DOJ is trying to make. That article confirms what I thought this was about and based on standard industry practice since the discovery of oil, the case is a load of BS.

Several news outlets reported yesterday that they'd positively ID'd the remains in the Tahoe at AKM using dental records.

Ok I hadn't heard that news about the dental records. But I was wondering how they ID him so fast right after this happened.

He was driving a Bi-Fuel. That means there would have been both CNG & Petrol Gas involved with the burning. Both these fuels mixed together would provide for a very hot and fast burn. Both fuels would have been present in the engine compartment.

what do you mean?

I mean exactly that...Google how cremation works, then compare that knowledge to a body 'turning to dust' when touched. Saying the vehicle was CNG doesn't change how physics works. But it seems nobody is taking this advice, so here.

https://www.cremationsolutions.com/information/scattering-ashes/all-about-cremation-ashes/

Feel free not to accept that source and Google it on your own, what you'll find is that the body is actually vaporized. Increased heat will decrease the time but it won't change the result. You can 'say' the vehicle was CNG, therefore implying that the flame was really, REALLY hot, but that doesn't change what the flame DOES, just how LONG it takes.

In case I'm still not being clear enough, let me be blunt. The body most certainly did not turn to dust when it was moved. That's just simply not how it works.

I mean exactly that...Google how cremation works, then compare that knowledge to a body 'turning to dust' when touched. Saying the vehicle was CNG doesn't change how physics works. But it seems nobody is taking this advice, so here.

https://www.cremationsolutions.com/information/scattering-ashes/all-about-cremation-ashes/

Feel free not to accept that source and Google it on your own, what you'll find is that the body is actually vaporized. Increased heat will decrease the time but it won't change the result. You can 'say' the vehicle was CNG, therefore implying that the flame was really, REALLY hot, but that doesn't change what the flame DOES, just how LONG it takes.

In case I'm still not being clear enough, let me be blunt. The body most certainly did not turn to dust when it was moved. That's just simply not how it works.

His exact words were, his head looked like a sea sponge that had been sitting in the sun for 6 months , and when they moved him it disintegrated... So that's all I have to go from , he was there on the scene putting out the fire..

His exact words were, his head looked like a sea sponge that had been sitting in the sun for 6 months , and when they moved him it disintegrated... So that's all I have to go from , he was there on the scene putting out the fire..

That's pretty gruesome. Though given the intensity of the fire, I guess it's not surprising. I can't imagine how there would be any organic material left over to test for alcohol or drugs.

Ok I hadn't heard that news about the dental records. But I was wondering how they ID him so fast right after this happened.

He was driving a Bi-Fuel. That means there would have been both CNG & Petrol Gas involved with the burning. Both these fuels mixed together would provide for a very hot and fast burn. Both fuels would have been present in the engine compartment.

What you described is a dual or mixed fuel system (both generally diesel + CNG engines) not a Bi-Fuel system. Bi-Fuel systems, like the system in his Tahoe, allow the driver or the system computer to switch back and forth between fuels, so both fuels do not burn at the same time.

As I mentioned in a post above, the CNG likely had no effect whatsoever on any aspect of the crash. The ignition point and pressure in the system are too high for it to burn outside of the system in an accident like that and any CNG that was released would likely have disapated quickly. The extreme heat of the fire was most likely due to a major gasoline tank rupture.

Aubrey McClendon dies in single-car crash | News OK (http://newsok.com/article/5482384?utm_source=NewsOK.com&utm_medium=Social&utm_campaign=NIC-Facebook)

The explanation of how Aubrey's security team reached out the the OKCPD stating he was missing really explains why suicide is being drawn as a conclusion.

Interestingly, the part about his security team has now been deleted from that article.


Does anybody have a link that has information about they security team notifying police or anything similar?

I can't find it and never understood who his 'security team' was, their function, where they were stationed, their role, etc.

What you described is a dual or mixed fuel system (both generally diesel + CNG engines) not a Bi-Fuel system. Bi-Fuel systems, like the system in his Tahoe, allow the driver or the system computer to switch back and forth between fuels, so both fuels do not burn at the same time.

As I mentioned in a post above, the CNG likely had no effect whatsoever on any aspect of the crash. The ignition point and pressure in the system are too high for it to burn outside of the system in an accident like that and any CNG that was released would likely have disapated quickly. The extreme heat of the fire was most likely due to a major gasoline tank rupture.

He had a bi-fuel. I did not say the vehicle ran on both at the same time. That would be a duel fuel system. What I said is that there would be both gas & cng in the engine compartment that would have both contributed to the burn. It doesn't matter which fuel the vehicle was running on, Both fuels would have fuel lines running to the intake manifold with a set of injectors for each fuel. Cng would have been about 35+ Lbs coming from low flow regulator going to the injector bar. All of which would have been ruptured in a crash like this. So there would be vapor (cng) & liquid (gas) spewing out on a hot engine with electrics sparking and possibly battery blowing up. Pretty much a bomb.

But,the cng tank did not explode. We can tell that from the pictures. But all cng in the system from the tank valve forward(assuming electric valve) would have been introduced in the engine compartment in that crash. And the cng is under high pressure til reduced down by the regulator that was in engine bay. So there was quite a lot of cng present in that crash. But not a tank full I don't think (unless it had a manual valve). Assuming it had an electric valve that would have shut off when the engine died. BUT,if it had a manual valve it could have kept spewing from the broken lines in the engine bay. It would be nearly impossible for no cng to be present in that crash. Cng spewing vapor would be like a blow torch in that engine bay until it ran out of cng.

On my Bi-Fuel system (very similar to what was on the Tahoe) I do have a manual shutoff valve that I have to turn off when filters coming from low regulator need to be changed. After turning valve off there is about 35Lbs of cng that escapes while changing filters. It's the cng that is in the system from the tank/shutoff valve up to the engine where it is introduced by the injectors. It would be wise NOT to light a match or making a spark while bleeding off the cng. But if I don't turn that valve off that cng will keep coming til there is none from the tank.

Interestingly, the part about his security team has now been deleted from that article.


Does anybody have a link that has information about they security team notifying police or anything similar?

I can't find it and never understood who his 'security team' was, their function, where they were stationed, their role, etc.

The video that was originally at that link, where the security team was mentioned along with the times we were commenting on is this one. The sheriff talks about the security team at 2:00 minute mark. NewsOK Videos | Aubrey McClendon: Police arrived quickly to scene (http://newsok.com/multimedia/video/4783387093001)

^

Thanks for that.

So, what do you suppose a 'security team' is and how did they know he was missing?

I've never heard anyone comment about Aubrey having a body guard or entourage and he was out in the city all the time.

Were they stations somewhere, accompany most places or merely had him check in with them from time to time?

And was this a new/recent thing or had he always had a similar arrangement?

^

Thanks for that.

So, what do you suppose a 'security team' is and how did they know he was missing?

I've never heard anyone comment about Aubrey having a body guard or entourage and he was out in the city all the time.

Were they stations somewhere, accompany most places or merely had him check in with them from time to time?

And was this a new/recent thing or had he always had a similar arrangement?


Larry Nichols, Dave hager, and Aubrey have all had private security for a long time. They don't usually go outside there building without it. They are pretty good so you don't notice them.

Larry Nichols, Dave hager, and Aubrey have all had private security for a long time. They don't usually go outside there building without it. They are pretty good so you don't notice them.

So, do they follow him everywhere?

Like at his home, out to dinner, driving to work, sit outside his office waiting for him to come out?

How do you think this works?

I'm not sure about his personal security setup. But an ex-cop friend of mine worked corporate security in NYC for several years. He says he would come to the clients house in the mornings either pick them up and drive them, or escort them from behind depending on if the client felt like driving that day. Once the client was at work he would drive him to any meetings and escort him in-out of offices, watching out for Michael Moore and his cameras. And basically just piddle and read the times while not doing either of those things. Then drive/escort the client home. Nights and Weekends off unless the client was going on a trip then it was 24/7.

I could see McClendon's people "losing him" if he wasn't home when they came to rendezvous. But again I have no idea what their arrangement is. Some people have the full Don Corleone setup with guard shacks and snipers.

Clay Bennetts lives with them......

Why the need for constant security?

I wonder what the primary fears / concerns are?

Why the need for constant security?

I wonder what the primary fears / concerns are?

I guess basketball fans are dangerous... Honestly , I've always wondered why these folks need that type of security, but then again they didn't become billionaires by honest hard work, someone usually got squashed along the way....

Kidnap, disgruntled ex-employees, property owners upset over controversial land deals, fringe environmentalists, etc.. Remember that some (notably Aubrey) were also involved in controversial social and political incidents, like funding the Duke lacrosse team rape defense, the swift boat takedown of John Kerry, Club for Growth, etc..

Like I said earlier though. I don't think these guys always had someone on-body, but I do think their corporate security folks generally almost always know their locations, appointments, intended locations, etc., and that the decision on whether to put a man on them is based upon an assessed risk of an intended location/event. Technology surely is a part of securing them these days.

Aubrey himself was regularly out by himself or with his wife with no visible security. That said, depending on circumstances security could be someone dining at the next table with no apparent connection, or the guy sitting with a person at dinner. Sometimes it also comes in the form of another, accompanying executive who has had security training such as situation risk assessment, self-defense and restraint techniques, evasive driving training and probably a concealed carry. I believe Devon has used this approach in the past.

Sometimes it's much more obvious; for instance during Thunder games, playoffs, etc., there is/was someone standing lower baseline behind Aubrey and Clay - not a member of team personnel - who on more than one occasion obviously intervened and steered away people who tried to approach them and who advanced/escorted the team owners through the tunnel and to the private parking lot that the team uses on the SE corner of the arena.

This is all very interesting.

I know from working in the entertainment biz that a lot of the top execs had a driver who was also a defacto security person. I had a boss who gave his driver an office right next to his own and the sole job was to drive him everywhere and be in close proximity at all times.


I would think that a big part of the deflection / protection would be press or protesters. "Move along sir... You're not welcome here."

I wonder the exact nature, then, of how Aubrey's security team knew to let the police know he was missing?

Were they supposed to be with him and he slipped away in his car without notifying them? Was he supposed to be at a meeting that morning and fail to show? Did Aubrey check in with them periodically and fail to do so?

Answer these questions and you would likely have a conclusive answer to the suicide question.

That's my guess, that is, he probably no-showed an expected appointment, be it related or unrelated to the legal case against him, and they tried to contact him, to no avail.

It's also likely that people who utilize personal/corporate security have real-time phone tracker apps viewable by security. Regular people use these apps to keep track of family members and even friends these days, in both an above-board manner and secretly. I like many people at the very least have a phone tracker app that I can activate remotely by password from a computer if my phone is lost or stolen. His vehicle also surely has On-Star, which is supposed to activate if the vehicle is in an accident.

It's pretty easy to imagine a situation where Aubrey no-shows, they check a tracker app, see that it's offline, and see perhaps that it was nowhere near where it was supposed to be.

^

I had heard that someone at AEP had expected him that morning, so it could have been that they checked with Aubrey's assistant who in turn checked in with the security group. Or perhaps it was his assistant that first noticed he wasn't where he needed to be and just contacted security.

The collision occurred about 9AM and the police said the security team contacted them at 10AM.

24/7 GPS vehicle tracking is simple and relatively cheap to set up. (I've had systems on work vehicles before to track location.) Assume something like GPS phone and vehicle tracking, everything went off the grid at 9am. However, with GPS trackers they may have had a last report of location on Midwest Blvd, unless he had disabled them or unless the electronics had not been pinged recently for location. I'm guessing missed appointment and not answering phone.

Were I setting up security team and money were no object, I would have all of the above. People available for whenever I needed or wanted them to go with me; tracking and security team aware of my schedule, and the ability to turn it all off.

Fleet tracking: http://lead.fleetmatics.com/fleet-gps-tracking/?&parameter=gps%20tracking%20+fleet%20management&infinity=gaw~US+SE+ENG+SPART+GPS~GPS%20Tracking_Br oad~77928465488~gps%20tracking%20+fleet%20manageme nt~b&gclid=CjwKEAiAx--2BRDO6q2T84_a52YSJABWAbfrLC8zDqWlvF8R2fH9QeZhcnOwB 9t1zR0oHHqSdfIYNBoClVLw_wcB&muid=C3EA05F3-F28E-4BD9-B328-B298F9B2FD39

^^^^^^^^
CHK (and surely AEP after) almost certainly had company-wide fleet tracking. For many years Aubrey took an active personal role in the management of CHK's fleet (which was very large and spread all over the country). One of my best friends for years sold/leased to CHK most of the vehicles they used (the Fords, anyway), and literally Aubrey himself would call and put in the order.

I helped him deliver vehicles a couple of times and on at least one occasion AKM personally came out and took delivery (they were on a first-name basis). This was in the nineties, mind you, and eventually the company got so big that they had dedicated in-house fleet management and AKM was out of the day-to-day mix.

He also was an early adopter regarding tech. It seems likely that he embraced fleet tracking early on. Keep in mind also that US Fleet Tracking is based in OKC and for years was a major Thunder sponsor. There likely was a connection there.

When you couple that fact with the likelihood that his personal vehicles were probably company-owned/leased for tax and other reasons, it seems likely that there was some fleet tracking involved at the very least.

^

I had heard that someone at AEP had expected him that morning, so it could have been that they checked with Aubrey's assistant who in turn checked in with the security group. Or perhaps it was his assistant that first noticed he wasn't where he needed to be and just contacted security.

The collision occurred about 9AM and the police said the security team contacted them at 10AM.

Every executive I know is in the office well before 9 a.m., so def. a good chance they started ringing alarms (unless he told them he's running late, etc.). Is it just me or it's kind of odd to see this many likes on a dead man's thread? Maybe I'm just taking "like" too literally.

Is it just me or it's kind of odd to see this many likes on a dead man's thread? Maybe I'm just taking "like" too literally.

Probably not literally enough. I highly doubt anyone has clicked 'like' on any post in this thread because they like the fact that Aubrey McClendon died. However, I would have no problem whatsoever believing someone clicked 'like' in response to a particular point a particular person made in a particular post.

I'm pretty sure the vast majority of Oklahomans and especially OKC folks held a generally positive view of AKM and are saddened by his death, even if they understand that he was an imperfect, complicated and at times controversial figure.

Along those lines, here is what I thought was an excellent personal piece written by Blake Jackson, who was social media manager for CHK during its crazy period of growth: https://medium.com/@eblakejackson/remembering-aubrey-mcclendon-4b616356bc92#.gzvdrtsvm

Here is another excellent personal piece written about Aubrey:
Our Grateful Life: Gratitude: Aubrey, Her Namesake... (http://robinandchrisevans.blogspot.com/2016/03/gratitude-aubrey-her-namesake.html?m=1)

I held--and hold--a generally positive view of Aubrey McClendon. One that is similar to that view that many have expressed is shared by a vast majority of Oklahomans. I guess my main question would be, what was he doing tooling around NE Oklahoma County in a 1995 Chevy Tundra . . .

I held--and hold--a generally positive view of Aubrey McClendon. One that is similar to that view that many have expressed is shared by a vast majority of Oklahomans.
Me too. As I've posted before I worked for an security systems company before I do what I do now. That company maintained the systems at the McClendon residence. As manager I had contact with all of the family including Aubrey himself. I was always impressed by how "normal" he was for being extremely wealthy.

I held--and hold--a generally positive view of Aubrey McClendon. One that is similar to that view that many have expressed is shared by a vast majority of Oklahomans. I guess my main question would be, what was he doing tooling around NE Oklahoma County in a 1995 Chevy Tundra . . .

RM,
I'm not sure if you are being serious or not, but it was a 2013 GM or Chevy SUV, and he owns a large piece of property very near there. I'm not speculating on why at that time of day on that day he was there, but just responding to your post. If there has been newer information published about the car make/model/year, then I apologize.
C. T.

CT:
My comment was based strictly upon the initial--and a couple of follow-up--News Reports regarding the incident. There is no way that I would not be serious about an event as sad as this one. I guess the learning here might be, don't take as truth anything you hear via the media.

Borrow, baby, borrow. It takes money to make money and/or keep the doors open in a bad energy economy. <past tense


Now his business partners, investors, creditors and estate must set about unwinding the vast array of assets and obligations he left behind.

Oklahoma records reflect some of the financial complexity. There are nearly 100 financing statements and collateral agreements listing Mr. McClendon as a debtor, a third of them filed since 2014. Wealthy individuals often borrow against their assets to access cash, but that had grown more difficult for Mr. McClendon as oil and gas prices crashed, according to people familiar with the matter.

Some of Mr. McClendon’s most valuable assets—and largest obligations—stemmed from a perk he received as a Chesapeake founder in which he gained a 2.5% stake in each of the wells the company drilled. Between 2009 and 2013, he took in nearly $1 billion from thousands of wells, according to Chesapeake filings.

Yet Mr. McClendon’s piece of the wells didn’t come free: He had to pay his share of their expense. At its peak, Chesapeake ran 160 rigs at once, each drilling wells that cost several million dollars apiece. To cover his portion, Mr. McClendon regularly borrowed nine-figure sums, according to securities filings and people familiar with the matter.

Through entities including Jamestown Resources LLC and Pelican Energy LLC, Mr. McClendon borrowed more than a billion dollars since 2008, with much of that debt held by private-equity firm EIG Global Energy Partners, according to people familiar with the matter. Last year, as oil and natural-gas prices plummeted, the Washington, D.C. firm took control of a significant portion of Mr. McClendon’s Chesapeake well interests, according to Oklahoma corporate records and people familiar with the matter.

To raise cash for a group of energy companies he launched from his American Energy Partners LP platform with private-equity investors after leaving Chesapeake in 2013, Mr. McClendon borrowed more than $400 million from Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and other banks, according to people familiar with the matter. Those six companies include Ascent Resources LLC, which explores in Appalachia, a West Texas oil producer and pipeline operator Traverse Midstream Holdings LLC.

Over the past 14 months Mr. McClendon was replaced as CEO and on the boards of those companies in planned successions, though tensions with some partners hastened his exit at some, according to people familiar with the matter. He retained minority stakes in each, which he had funded at least partly with borrowed money, the people said. In the event of a default, the banks aren’t due direct ownership in the companies because he had pledged as collateral securities that entitled him to some of the gains at each business rather than his direct ownership, they said.

Mr. McClendon ran an almost constant fundraising campaign since he was pushed out of Chesapeake by activist investors alarmed by his free-spending ways, according to people familiar with the meetings. He sought backers for new drilling ventures in Australia, Argentina and Oklahoma. But in the past year he met diminished interest from banks and private-equity firms as energy prices languished, the people said.

Part of the problem was dwindling collateral, some of the people said. In some instances he produced a list of Oklahoma restaurants in which he had invested, which lenders deemed insufficient collateral for the amount of cash he was seeking, one of the people said.

Oklahoma filings depict a flurry of activity in late October. Mr. McClendon borrowed an undisclosed sum against investments in 42 companies and private investment funds. The investments range from tech companies, including GifBoom.com, an application that allows users to post short, soundless video clips to social media, and shopping site Markkit Inc. to an Oklahoma City townhouse development and a family-friendly television broadcaster.

Filings made the same day show he also pledged the cash proceeds from his roughly 20% stake in the NBA’s Thunder to Oaktree Capital Group LLC, a Los Angeles investment firm that specializes in distressed assets. Bank of America Corp. previously held his Thunder stake as collateral, records show.

The Thunder ownership is pledged in such a way that Oaktree can only receive the full value of its worth if it is sold, according to a person familiar with the matter.

He also put up real estate in Connecticut, Colorado and Oklahoma as well as collections of antique oil-and-gas paraphernalia and boats, including one from 1897 and a 1929 Chris Craft, and some 2,000 bottles of wine, among them 18 bottles of 1949 Chateau Lafite Rothschild, worth thousands of dollars apiece.

At least one problem of Mr. McClendon’s appeared close to being resolved last week. A lawsuit that Chesapeake had filed against him for allegedly stealing proprietary maps and data—which he vigorously denied—had been in arbitration and was on the brink of being settled, according to people familiar with the matter.

Aubrey McClendon Bet Big to Finance Second Act - WSJ (http://www.wsj.com/articles/mcclendon-bet-big-to-finance-second-act-1457393886)

Death of a Shale Man: The Final Days of Aubrey McClendon - Bloomberg Business (http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-03-09/death-of-a-shale-man-the-final-days-of-aubrey-mcclendon)

Interesting article; I think we will find that there is going to be limit data extracted from the scene and his death will likely remain a mystery...intentional? pre-crash health event? animal/debris in road?

I believe we will ultimately find out where he was supposed to have been that morning and it will pretty conclusively resolve if he intentionally went out of his way for the almost certain purpose of killing himself.

I'm sure people at AEP and his security team already know the answers and they will eventually come out, regardless of what comes of the police investigation.

Interesting article; I think we will find that there is going to be limit data extracted from the scene and his death will likely remain a mystery...intentional? pre-crash health event? animal/debris in road?

He had to be under a ton of stress. That could lead to health issues or suicide being the cause. We may and most likely never will know for sure.
Unless he indicated to someone what his plans were I don't see any way it can be proven one way or the other. He could have had a massive heart attack for all we know.

On thing that I've heard very little mention of was Aubry's vision of building a " Little Branson" out in Arcadia. His land buy up days in and around Arcadia in the 90's and 2000's was to create an entertainment and resort area along with car museum along Route 66. Some of his last purchases for this purpose in Arcadia included Hillbillies resturant and cabins, right in town on 66, a strip of land between Kolar Farms and the Deep Fork, and the land east of there to Hiwassee Rd. There was a lot of talk around the area of his vision of turning that whole area in to a destination place, complete with it's own exit from I-44. He was known out there simply by his first name, even if you didn't know him. If someone asked what was going on with a piece of property or building, all they had to say was "Aubry". He's the reason the bridge was put in on Anderson Rd. over the Deep Fork river. The county, and certainly the town of Arcadia wouldn't have done it on their own. I'm not certain, but I had heard at several different times that Aubry paid for that bridge himself, and it had to do with having the exit from I-44 built at at Anderson Rd to bring traffic straight into Arcadia.

Just passing along something I was told.........which was, AM had eye surgery a week or so before his fatality. The person also said AM had some sort of vehicle accident a week before his death. They think that previous accident may have been attributed to the eye surgery. The person close to him also said he drove like a bat outta hell all the time, which has been mentioned. Was also told those close to him at AEP say there's no way it was suicide. The discussion also covered the theory of falling asleep, but, they also said there's no way of knowing anything for certain. Hopefully time will reveal the truth with little room for speculation.

^^^^^^^^
Likely TONS of sleepless nights leading up to day of his death, which could lend the asleep-at-the-wheel theory some credibility. It could legitimately have been one of a number of things, most of which could still be connected to the stress he was under.

From what I understand he was always on the go. Doesn't sound like the type to all of a sudden go to sleep at the wheel. Doesn't make much sense to me at all. Maybe if the drive was late at night, on an open highway, during a 10 hour drive, then I could see it. Not going down Midwest Blvd at 9 in the morning.

And eye surgery? A week prior? No way. Maybe, and I mean maybe, if he had eye surgery the day before I could see that possibly having an effect. But highly doubt an eye surgery a week before had anything to do with him crashing into a bridge at a high rate of speed.

And friends say there was no way it was suicide? That's very normal. Many times suicides are unexpected, from persons who seemed very stable and had many reasons not to do it. As mentioned previously, many times those who do it don't just wake up one morning saying they are going to do it. A lot of times it goes down very quickly without any signs.

Nobody close to someone who has died wants to believe it was suicide.

Too painful to think about.

^^^^^^^^
Likely TONS of sleepless nights leading up to day of his death, which could lend the asleep-at-the-wheel theory some credibility. It could legitimately have been one of a number of things, most of which could still be connected to the stress he was under.

Seems to me that there would be better ways to commit suicide. I don't know since I never committed suicide but is that like a spur of the moment thing or a planned thing?

Of COURSE it could be suicide. Actually somewhat likely, based on circumstances. But this pooh-poohing of other possibilities until truly damning evidence comes out is pretty disrespectful and macabre. Unless you have evidence to the contrary, it is completely fair to assume suicide, but insisting that HAS to be so means that on some level you WANT it to be so. It's ****ing gross.

Regarding nodding off at the wheel during the daytime, it happens all of the time. It has happened to me, personally. Miss a few nights sleep, go on a boring drive and get back to me.

Falling Asleep while Driving | MD-Health.com (http://www.md-health.com/Falling-Asleep-While-Driving.html)


Falling asleep while driving can be dangerous, both for you and others on the road. Feeling drowsy behind the wheel is a very common phenomenon, but becoming so tired that you fall asleep at the wheel can be a sign that you may be suffering from a serious sleep problem that will need to be addressed. Nodding off for as little as three seconds while you are driving can cause a fatal accident. Even driving while drowsy can slow your reaction time enough to increase your risk of serious accidents on the road.

Sleep loss is one of the most common causes of drowsy driving. Many conditions can cause the patient to suffer from sleep deprivation. Personal demands, stress or lifestyle choices can cause people to miss the 7-9 hours of sleep they need. Troubled sleep may also fail to provide adequate rest, causing the patient to feel drowsy throughout the day.

Here's more:

Facts and Stats : Drowsy Driving ? Stay Alert, Arrive Alive (http://drowsydriving.org/about/facts-and-stats/)


Facts and Stats

According to the National Sleep Foundation’s 2005 Sleep in America poll, 60% of adult drivers – about 168 million people – say they have driven a vehicle while feeling drowsy in the past year, and more than one-third, (37% or 103 million people), have actually fallen asleep at the wheel! In fact, of those who have nodded off, 13% say they have done so at least once a month. Four percent – approximately eleven million drivers – admit they have had an accident or near accident because they dozed off or were too tired to drive.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration conservatively estimates that 100,000 police-reported crashes are the direct result of driver fatigue each year. This results in an estimated 1,550 deaths, 71,000 injuries, and $12.5 billion in monetary losses. These figures may be the tip of the iceberg, since currently it is difficult to attribute crashes to sleepiness.

*There is no test to determine sleepiness as there is for intoxication, i.e. a “Breathalyzer”.

*State reporting practices are inconsistent. There is little or no police training in identifying drowsiness as a crash factor. Every state currently addresses fatigue and/or sleepiness in some way in their crash report forms. However, the codes are inconsistent and two states (Missouri and Wisconsin) do not have specific codes for fatigue and/or fell asleep.

*Self-reporting is unreliable.

*Drowsiness/fatigue may play a role in crashes attributed to other causes such as alcohol. About one million such crashes annually are thought to be produced by driver inattention/lapses.
According to data from Australia, England, Finland, and other European nations, all of whom have more consistent crash reporting procedures than the U.S., drowsy driving represents 10 to 30 percent of all crashes
.
Who is at risk?

Sleep related crashes are most common in young people, especially men, adults with children and shift workers. According to the NSF’s 2002 poll:

*Adults between 18-29 are much more likely to drive while drowsy compared to other age groups (71% vs. 30-64, 52% vs. 65+, 19%).

*Men are more likely than women to drive while drowsy (56% vs. 45%) and are almost twice as likely as women to fall asleep while driving (22% vs. 12%).

*Adults with children in the household are more likely to drive drowsy than those without children (59% vs. 45%).

*Shift workers are more likely than those who work a regular daytime schedule to drive to or from work drowsy at least a few days a month (36% vs. 25%).

*Sleep deprivation increases the risk of a sleep-related crash; the less people sleep, the greater the risk.

*According to a study by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety, people who sleep six to seven hours a night are twice as likely to be involved in such a crash as those sleeping 8 hours or more, while people sleeping less than 5 hours increased their risk four to five times.

*A study by researchers in Australia showed that being awake for 18 hours produced an impairment equal to a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .05, and .10 after 24 hours; .08 is considered legally drunk. Other research indicates commercial drivers and people with undiagnosed sleep disorders such as sleep apnea and acute insomnia are also at greater risk for fall asleep crashes.

Nearly three-quarters of adults in America (71%) drive a car to and from work, and many are drowsy drivers, according to NSF’s 2001 Sleep in America poll. More than one-fourth of these respondents (27%) said they have driven drowsy to or from work at least a few days a month, 12 percent drove drowsy a few days a week, and four percent said they drove drowsy every day or almost every day.

Sleep deprivation and fatigue make lapses of attention more likely to occur, and may play a role in behavior that can lead to crashes attributed to other causes.

*According to NSF’s 2000 Sleep in America poll, when they are driving drowsy, 42 percent of those polled said they become stressed, 32 percent get impatient and 12 percent tend to drive faster.

*In the same poll, about one in five drivers (22%) said they pull over to nap when driving drowsy. Older adults are more likely to pull over and nap than younger drivers, who are most likely to drive when drowsy and least likely to pull over and nap.

*People tend to fall asleep more on high-speed, long, boring, rural highways. However, those who live in urban areas are more likely to doze off while driving compared to people in rural or suburban areas (24% vs. 17%).

*Most crashes or near misses occur between 4:00 – 6:00 a.m.; midnight – 2:00 a.m. and 2:00 – 4:00 p.m. are also peak times for crashes to occur. Nearly one-quarter of adults (23%) say they know someone personally who has crashed due to falling asleep at the wheel.

*In NSF’s 1999 Sleep in America poll, 60 percent of parents with children who drive living in the household said they have not discussed the dangers of falling asleep at the wheel. In the 2002 poll, nearly all respondents (96%) agreed that information about driving while drowsy should be included in tests for a driver’s license.

Drowsy driving crashes can result in high personal and economic costs.

*Several drowsy driving incidents have resulted in jail sentences for the driver.

*Multi-million dollar settlements have been awarded to families of crash victims as a result of lawsuits filed against individuals as well as businesses whose employees were involved in drowsy driving crashes.

Again, I'm not saying it WAS drowsy driving; only that it certainly COULD have been. Just as it COULD have been a heart attack, screwing with phone, spilled hot coffee, who knows? And discounting these possibilities, at least at this point, means that on some level you WANT it to be a suicide. You have no real idea at this point; nor do I. We only know a few of the things that it COULD have been, one of which is obviously suicide. Just let the facts come out. Hopefully there will be enough evidence one way or the other to put the conversation to rest.

Calm down. Just giving my opinion. I really don't care one way or another (suicide or not), it makes no difference to me. Sorry that I offended you.

Seems to me that there would be better ways to commit suicide. I don't know since I never committed suicide but is that like a spur of the moment thing or a planned thing?

But if you wanted it to look like an accident because of a large life insurance policy, then a single car wreck is a better way to go about it. They cant prove that it was on purpose. Make it an obvious suicide and then his family wouldnt get anything from insurer.

Payout after a suicide depends on the policy. Some will after 2 or 3 years of coverage.

Nobody close to someone who has died wants to believe it was suicide.

Too painful to think about.

Depends on the situation. Had a grandfather who appears to have obviously committed suicide within a week of his wife passing. He simply couldn't bear living without her. Didn't leave a note of anything, but it was pretty understood what happened and why it happened. Nobody questioned it.

Again, I'm not saying it WAS drowsy driving; only that it certainly COULD have been. Just as it COULD have been a heart attack, screwing with phone, spilled hot coffee, who knows? And discounting these possibilities, at least at this point, means that on some level you WANT it to be a suicide. You have no real idea at this point; nor do I. We only know a few of the things that it COULD have been, one of which is obviously suicide. Just let the facts come out. Hopefully there will be enough evidence one way or the other to put the conversation to rest.

If anyone could have been drowsy it was Aubrey. I have a friend who owned a business that did work for Chesapeake when Aubrey was there. He said it was not uncommon for Aubrey to call him in the middle of the night with an idea, and it was quite clear he'd been up all night. I always thought that the things he did suggest hypomania. From a personal aspect, I remember being on call one night, up all night, and I fell asleep driving home. I started awake after I had crossed the median suddenly. Luckily I was on a very untraveled road and there were no bridges. Again, not saying it was not suicide, but there are certainly other potential causes. I don't really think it's any of my business anyway and regardless, it's very sad for the family and the large number of people who cared deeply for him.

It could have been a guilty conscience, or feelings of betrayal by former partners cooperating with investigators. He probably drove that road at high speed often and had visions in recent years as his house of cards fell apart of veering left.