Pennsylvania Treasurer R. Budd Dwyer, facing the possibility of a long prison sentence on federal bribery charges, shot himself to death before a packed press conference Thursday in his office.
Before a room full of reporters and television cameras, Dwyer delivered a long, rambling speech claiming that he had endured “a nightmare” and had been framed on the bribery charges. At the end of his speech, he pulled a .357-caliber revolver from a manila envelope in his briefcase.
Amid shouts of “No! No! No! No!” and “Budd, don’t do this!” Dwyer said, “Please leave the room as this will . . . as this will hurt someone.” He then put the barrel of the gun into his mouth and fired one shot. Death came instantly, shortly before 11 a.m.
Reporters and Treasury Department staff members had gone to the 10:30 a.m. press conference expecting Dwyer to announce his resignation because of his scheduled sentencing today on the federal charges.
Some shouted “Oh, no!” and “Oh, God!” In the seconds after the shot, James Horshock, Dwyer’s press secretary, asked reporters not to panic and to “show a little decorum.” But as he walked by the treasurer’s body, slumped against a cabinet with the blood running heavily from the mouth and the nose, Horshock said, “Dear God in heaven!”
It was clear later that Dwyer, 47, had planned his suicide carefully. He had aides hand out a 20-page statement detailing his views on his case, but held back the 21st page, which contained a final paragraph making it clear that he planned to kill himself.
In the paragraph, which Dwyer did not read, he said he would not resign. Pleading that his story be told, Dwyer warned in the final paragraph that those with weak stomachs might want to leave the room.
Just before pulling out the revolver, Dwyer handed aides three envelopes. One contained instruction for his funeral and other personal matters. One held Dwyer’s organ donor card, and the third contained a letter to Gov. Robert Casey asking him to consider appointing Dwyer’s wife, Joanne, to succeed him as state treasurer.
Casey’s press secretary, Bob Grotevant, said later that the appointment of Joanne Dwyer was out of the question.
Dwyer was scheduled to be sentenced today as a result of his conviction on conspiracy, mail fraud and racketeering charges. He faced a prison sentence of up to 55 years for his Dec. 17 conviction on the charges stemming from the award of a state computer contract to a California firm known as Computer Technology Associates.
Dwyer was charged with arranging to receive a $300,000 kickback in return for awarding the contract. The contract was canceled in July 1984 after Dwyer learned of the ongoing federal probe.
Horshock and his deputy, Gregory Penny, said the treasurer asked them to set up the press conference in his office Thursday, but did not tell them the purpose. Horshock called dozens of reporters Wednesday and asked them to attend, but said he did not know the subject.
“The expectation was that he was using this forum to resign his position,” Horshock said Thursday.
“He said that he was going to give an update on his situation and thank the people who supported him,” the press secretary said.
Paul Killion, the lawyer who represented Dwyer at his trial, said Dwyer told him he planned to announce his resignation at the press conference. Instead, Dwyer launched into a lengthy attack on those he held responsible for his plight, including former Gov. Dick Thornburgh, the press, and the prosecutor, judge and jury in the case.
Killion said he went to the treasurer’s office for the conference, but Dwyer “asked me to leave because he knew I’d be upset about this attack on participants at the trial.”
Dwyer appeared on the verge of crying as he gave his speech. He hurried through portions of his statement and skipped other sections.
At one point, about midway through the speech when some television people appeared to be leaving, Dwyer asked them to stay.
“Those of you who are putting your cameras away, I think you ought to stay because we’re not, we’re not finished yet,” he said.
“This has been like a nightmare, like a life in the twilight zone,” he said at the outset. “It wouldn’t surprise me to wake up this minute to find out I was home in my bed and had just had a terrible nightmare. That’s how unbelievable this has been. I mean, I’ve never done anything wrong and yet all this horrible nightmare has occurred to me,” he said.
He charged that Thornburgh instigated the federal probe against him because of a feud between the two. Thornburgh, he charged, wanted to get back at him for exposing apparent travel abuses by the governor and his family.
Thornburgh, through his aides, issued a statement of condolence to Dwyer’s family, but did not respond to the charges.
Edward Leary, assistant special agent in charge of the Philadelphia FBI office, said, “We’re very saddened to hear about what happened.” He said the FBI was not aware of the specific charges made by Dwyer and, therefore, could not respond.
Dauphin County Coroner William Bush said Dwyer was pronounced dead on the scene.
The coroner said death was instantaneous. He said the bullet, which traveled through Dwyer’s skull, was recovered on the floor of his office. He said five bullets remained in the gun when it was recovered.
Bush said he would investigate whether any of Dwyer’s aides knew of the suicide plans. The coroner said he was concerned that the envelopes Dwyer gave out minutes before his death may indicate staffers had advance knowledge.
Penny, who was handed one of the envelopes, said Dwyer had pulled the trigger by the time he realized something was amiss.
“I said to myself ‘an organ donor card’ and the next thing I know he’s pulled the trigger,” Penny said.
An aide said later that Dwyer’s corneas were made available for transplants, but his other organs could not be used because too much time elapsed before his body was removed.
State Police spokesman Curt Ashenfelter said a complete investigation was started at the request of Capitol Police. He said four persons were assigned to the case.
He said that State Police records showed Dwyer bought the handgun, with a 6.5-inch barrel, on Dec. 31, 1982, at a gun shop in nearby Lebanon. The manager of the gun shop said he did not recall Dwyer buying the gun.
