The apparent suicide of journalist and author Hunter S Thompson is under review by investigators in Colorado, more than two decades after his death.
Thompson, 67, died on February 20, 2005 at his Woody Creek home, of what investigators at the time ruled was a suicide.
The Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) announced this week it would be reviewing the case.
The Pitkin County Sheriff's Office — which conducted the original investigation — said there was no new evidence suggesting foul play in Thompson's death.
The independent review by the CBI was sparked following a request by Thompson's widow, Anita Thompson.
Pitkin County Sheriff Michael Buglione said his office wanted to address lingering questions surrounding the author's death.
"We understand the profound impact Hunter S Thompson had on this community and beyond," he said.
"By bringing in an outside agency for a fresh look, we hope to provide a definitive and transparent review that may offer peace of mind to his family and the public."
Moments leading up to Thompson's 2005 death
Police were called to Thompson's property about 6pm after his son, Juan Thompson, reported the shooting.
The "fortified compound" Thompson called Owl Farm was built on a 44-hectare property in the unincorporated town of Woody Creek, north-west of Aspen.
As police officer John Armstrong rolled up the driveway to the home, he heard three more gunshots ring out.
"I told Juan I had heard gunshots, and asked [him] who was shooting and why," the police officer wrote in his incident report.
"Juan told me he had shot a shotgun into the air to mark the passing of his father."
Juan Thompson had been visiting his father with his wife and son.
Friends and family said Thompson had been recovering from a hip replacement surgery, back surgery and a recently broken leg.
[owl farm map]In the days leading up to his death, he had given family heirlooms and rare copies of his books to his son and spoke of his wishes for his remains.
He argued with his wife the night before — shooting a pellet gun without warning at a gong in the family kitchen, narrowly missing her head.
These moments were detailed in an article published by Rolling Stone magazine a few months later, written by friend and fellow author Douglas Brinkley.
On that February day, Anita Thompson reconciled with her husband and left to go to a fitness class in nearby Aspen.
Later, according to Brinkley, she called, and again the pair talked about the pellet gun incident, this time reconciling.
She recalled hearing a "strange clicking noise" as she hung up.
Minutes later, Juan Thompson, sitting in the home's living room with his family, heard a "dull sound, not a sharp crack typical of a gunshot", according to the police report.
A handgun was found on the ground beside the senior Thompson's foot.
Police and the coroner concluded the death was self-inflicted.
Discussions of CBI review began in April, says Pitkin sheriff
A CBI special agent has been assigned to the case to review the 2006 report.
Based on that review, they could decide to reopen the case and launch their own investigation, or reach the same conclusion as those initial Pitkin County police officers.
The CBI has not provided a timeline for its review to be completed.
Sheriff Buglione said he had spoken several times since April 2025 about the case, adding Anita Thompson concerns did not relate to the original police investigation.
Instead, she was more concerned by "things she was hearing from … friends and possibly relatives about Hunter's demise", the sheriff said.
"And then I said, 'Look, you're talking to the wrong guy … you wouldn't really want to talk to one of our investigators because we did the initial investigation.'
"I discussed the possibility of bringing in the Colorado Bureau of Investigation … and we spoke to them and they were open and willing to do that.
"I gave Ms Thompson those options of doing a case review or reopening the investigation."
Anita Thompson, he said, opted for the case review.
The sheriff noted he had not asked for the case to be reviewed because of Thompson's celebrity.
"I would do it for anybody in Pitkin County who lost a loved one," he said.
"And [who] was either getting different information or found something out, or maybe found a note buried in a book 20 years later."
Anita Thompson and Juan Thompson have not commented publicly.
Thompson's 'Gonzo' legacy made him a cult figure
Thompson, born in Kentucky in 1937, enlisted in the US Air Force at 19 years old, working as a sports writer for an air base newspaper.
He was honourably discharged after just a year.
He rose to prominence following the publication of his book Hell's Angels, detailing the lives of members of the motorcycle club.
To research the 1967 book, he lived among the club for a year.
His later writing formed the basis of a new subgenre of reporting he called "Gonzo" journalism.
Under Thompson's method, the writer becomes a central part of the narrative — throwing out any attempt at objectivity.
It was an ideology which made him a cult figure.
In 1972, he published Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, a partly autobiographical novel which would become his most famous.
The book was adapted into a movie starring Johnny Depp and Benicio del Toro in 1998.
In 1970, he ran for the office of Sheriff in Pitkin County, losing by just a handful of votes.
After his death — at his request — his ashes were fired out of a cannon at Owl Farm, in front of friends, family and several high-profile actors, including Depp and Sean Penn.
