# Public figure faking his own death **URL:** \ **Category:** Cecil's Columns/Staff Reports\ **Created:** [April 19, 2013, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-figure-faking-his-own-death/656123 "2013-04-19T12:05:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Cagey\_Drifter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b2d939/32.png) [@Cagey\_Drifter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cagey_Drifter)\ **Post date:** [May 1, 2013, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-figure-faking-his-own-death/656123/21 "2013-05-01T16:40:21Z")
Musician Richey Manic has now been pronounced “presumably dead,” after having apparently committed suicide in 1995. His car was found abandoned next to a famous suicide site, though there were numerous unconfirmed sightings of him around the world in the years that followed. Personally, I’m pretty sure he successfully faked his own death, especially based on his behavior before his death (withdrawing thousands of pounds from his bank account). > **[Richey Edwards](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Richey_manic)** > > Richard James Edwards (born 22 December 1967 – disappeared 1 February 1995), also known as Richey James or Richey Manic, was a Welsh musician who was the lyricist and rhythm guitarist of the alternative rock band Manic Street Preachers. He was known for his dark, politicised and intellectual songwriting which, combined with an enigmatic and eloquent character, has assured him cult status. He has been cited as a leading lyricist of his generation, leading the Cool Cymru movement. > Edwards disap... ---
**Author:** ![Keatho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c2a13f/32.png) [@Keatho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keatho)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2013, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-figure-faking-his-own-death/656123/22 "2013-05-08T17:34:30Z")
Porn Star Hyapatia Lee apparently faked her own death around 1998, at least according to Wikipedia and the IMDb. > **[Hyapatia Lee](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyapatia_Lee#Life)** > > Vicki Lynch, known professionally as Hyapatia Lee, is an American former adult film actress. Being of Cherokee descent, she was the only Native American in the adult business during her tenure; this contributed to her becoming one of the best-known actresses of the Golden Age of Porn. Lee is an AVN and XRCO Hall of Fame inductee. > Lee was born to teenage parents in the Haughville neighborhood of Indianapolis, Indiana, and is of Cherokee and Irish descent. She attended the local high school, whe... > **[Hyapatia Lee - IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0497412/bio/)** > > Hyapatia Lee. Actress: The Masseuse. Hyapatia Lee (pronounced "high-a-PAY-sha") was born Vicki Lynch. By 1977 she was performing regularly on stage as an actress at the Black Curtain Dinner Theater, Footlite Musicals, and Indianapolis Civic Theater,... ---
**Author:** ![usenot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ea5d25/32.png) [@usenot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/usenot)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2019, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-figure-faking-his-own-death/656123/23 "2019-04-04T17:19:52Z")
Solid necro after 6 years, I admit, but I recently read the Wikipedia page about [Aimee Semple McPherson](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reported_kidnapping_of_Aimee_Semple_McPherson) and remembered this column. I didn’t do comprehensive check of the information on Wikipedia, but it seems like Cecil wrote about the tabloid version and not what really happened. It struck me enough to find the column, create an account, and come here to post it. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [April 4, 2019, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-figure-faking-his-own-death/656123/24 "2019-04-04T19:33:20Z")
Since this has been revived, there is strong suspicion that [Gerald Cotton](https://www.chepicap.com/en/news/7185/who-is-gerald-cotten-the-allegedly-dead-co-founder-and-ceo-of-quadriga-cx-.html) faked his own death after absconding with (or simply spending) over $100 million in crypto-currency. ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2019, 10:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-figure-faking-his-own-death/656123/25 "2019-04-09T10:54:57Z")
[Peter the Painter](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_the_Painter) was the (?legendary) leader of the revolutionaries involved in the Siege of Sidney Street in London in 1911, but seemingly disappeared. It was rumoured that he later became one of the Soviet NKVD’s murderous organisers. Certainly his supposed cousin was, but there were so many aliases and cover names in use, it’s by no means clear who he was or what happened to him. But he - or his legend- certainly made him a celebrity at the time , and for long after. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/public-figure-faking-his-own-death/656123.md?page=1)