This article mentions suicide. Please read with caution.

Netflix’s 2024 true-crime documentary series American Conspiracy: The Octopus Murders covers the death of journalist Danny Casolaro, which was ruled a suicide. According to the show, however, evidence exists that Casolaro may have been murdered to cover up a conspiracy reaching the highest levels of the U.S. government.

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It’s hard to sum up just how complicated the alleged conspiracy that Casolaro, a tech writer with Computer Age, may have been close to uncovering when he died. It began with the “Inslaw case” scandal in the 1980s, involving the Department of Justice and Promis, a private software company. It grew to encompass alleged government spying on U.S. citizens and foreign powers.

From there, several high-profile controversies from the eras are linked together, including the Iran-Contra scandal, arms and drug dealing, organized crime, and the “October Surprise,” or allegations that powers behind the Reagan presidential campaign arranged to free U.S. hostages in Iran until after the 1980 election, to help Reagan win. “October murders” refers to the eight-tentacled web of deceit Casalaro’s work seemingly exposed.

But did Casolaro kill himself, having lost perspective on a story that may have been nothing more than loose ends? Or was Casolaro murdered, instead, having come too close to the truth?

How did Danny Casolaro die?

In 1991, Danny Casolaro traveled to West Virginia to meet with a source that Casolaro said might once and for all provide the proof he needed to expose the intricate web of conspiracies he believed he’d uncovered. Casolaro was found dead in a hotel room bathtub in a bloody scene, his wrists slit multiple times, and a suicide note on the table, giving no clear indication of why he supposedly chose to take his own life.

A razor was found, as well as evidence that Casolaro had been drinking, and it was quickly ruled a suicide by Martinsburg, West Virginia law enforcement. There was no sign of struggle, and no one in the hotel noticed anything suspicious when Casolaro died. The toxicology report determined there was nothing in Casolaro’s system to suggest he was rendered unconscious first before the hotel room was staged to appear as if he killed himself. Blood loss was determined to be Casolaro’s cause of death.

Was Danny Casolaro murdered?

Despite Danny Casolaro’s death being ruled a suicide, many believed there was more to the story than they were being told, as the Netflix series relates, and period coverage from The Washington Post and the Los Angeles Times explains. Casolaro hated blood, those close to him said, and Casolaro’s brother reported that Danny warned him before he died that should anything happen to him, he should be suspicious of the official story.

Meanwhile, some also believe that coroners and West Virginia law enforcement were either U.S. intelligence agents, or influenced by the CIA and other agencies. Dr. Henry Lee, who ruled Casolaro’s death a suicide, later backtracked on the conclusion when he discovered Martinsburg police withheld information, and a suitcase holding all of Casolaro’s notes regarding the “Octopus case” wound up missing.

In 1991, Casolaro’s long-time friend, Arthur Weinfield, told The Post, “I come out with 100 different answers, and I’ve stopped playing that game with myself. But I can say that Danny Casolaro, who was my best, beloved friend, who I grieve for very much, was not a person that would have committed suicide.”

What happened to Danny Casolaro?

As frustrating as it is, we may never know what happened to Danny Casolaro in that lonely West Virginia hotel room in 1991. Was he about to uncover one of the most damning conspiracies in United States history, or did he take his single-minded obsession too far, growing despondent as every thread he pulled seemed to lead to a dead end and endless frustration?

In the end, all we’re left with are Casolaro’s final words on a notepad in the hotel room where he died: “To those whom I love the most, please forgive me for the worst possible thing I could have done. I’m sure God will let me in.” The gripping four-part series American Conspiracy: The Octopus Murders is available to stream now on Netflix.

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