So, what do you think?

Paulette531

So, what do you think?

Paulette531

Do you think she killed herself or did somebody want her out of the way?

Police: Woman believed to be 'D.C. madam' kills herself

44 minutes ago

TARPON SPRINGS, Fla. - A woman police believe to be convicted Washington escort service operator Deborah Jeane Palfrey committed suicide, officials said Thursday.

Police said the body was found in a shed near Palfrey's mother's home Thursday morning. There was a suicide note, but police did not disclose its contents or how she killed herself.

Police said they were trying to confirm the woman's identity, but did not immediately have additional comment when reached by telephone. Palfrey's attorney, Preston Burton, did not return a telephone call and e-mail message.

The District of Columbia U.S. attorney's office, which spent years investigating and prosecuting Palfrey, was aware of the media reports and was awaiting confirmation from law enforcement, said spokeswoman Channing Phillips.

Police did not immediately have additional comment when reached by telephone. Palfrey's attorney, Preston Burton, did not return a telephone call and e-mail message.

Palfrey was convicted April 15 by a federal jury of running a prostitution service that catered to members of Washington's political elite, including Sen. David Vitter, a Louisiana Republican.

She had denied her escort service engaged in prostitution, saying that if any of the women engaged in sex acts for money, they did so without her knowledge.

She was convicted of money laundering, using the mail for illegal purposes and racketeering. Palfrey faced a maximum of 55 years in prison and was free pending her sentencing July 24.

Prosecutors said Palfrey operated the prostitution service for 13 years.

Her trial concluded without revealing many new details about the service or its clients. Vitter was among possible witnesses, but did not take the stand.

Vitter, a first-term senator who is married and has four children, has acknowledged being involved with Palfrey's escort service and has apologized for what he called a "very serious sin." But he avoided commenting further.

One of the escort service employees was former University of Maryland, Baltimore County, professor Brandy Britton, who was arrested on prostitution charges in 2006. She committed suicide in January before she was scheduled to go to trial.

Last year, Palfrey said she, too, was humiliated by her prostitution charges, but said: "I guess I'm made of something that Brandy Britton wasn't made of."

VickiTN

Sounds very suspicious to me... Committing suicide by hanging seems more like something you'd expect a man to do and not a woman....seems like if she were going to commit suicide, that she'd do something a little less painful - like taking an overdose of something....

I'm leaning on believing that it was made to look like a suicide....

junie

...thinking she was "offed" by someone with a great deal to lose and lots of resources...time will tell, or probably not!!!

Boo46

You know the first thing I thought when I saw the headline was that someone got rid of her. Very suspicious

gsg

i don't believe it was a suicide for a minute. 

Paulette531

i thought the same thing, I suppose there will be a movie...I wonder where all the "records" are and did she have a diary? This will sound crappy but the first thing that came to my mind was Hillary and Bill...you just really have to wonder.

Yogi70

Of course it wasn't suicide, but it'll be "case closed" on that story.

Sierra

I never heard this up here

but.. definitely



Smell a RAT!





Sierra

nosurrender

I think someone killed her too.

She was ready to release all her phone and client records...

plus, I don't know about you, but does anyone here know how to tie a noose???

A bottle of xanax is a more typical way for women to kill themselves, not hanging themselves.

Sounds like a case for Jessica Fletcher. 

Emelee26

Actually women do terrible things to kill themselves - I know one that lit herself on fire..I'm a death investigator at the ME office..

They will be able to tell if the knot was self-tied - so it will all come out when they are ready to release the details....