Mysterious Death of News of the World Reporter Sean Hoare Rocks Murdoch Phone-tapping Scandal

July 18, 2011- The big news story of the day was the death in England of Sean Hoare, the whistleblower primarily given credit for exposing the phone hacking scandal at the now-closed British newspaper the News of the World, Rupert Murdoch's newspaper. Former editor Andy Coulson was expected to be arrested on Friday. Murdoch apologized and closed down the newspaper in the wake of the phone-tapping scandal. The scandal has now spread to the highest levels of the British police, causing two resignations, and, said one former newspaper reporter on CNN, to the Prime Minister himself. The charges of wire-tapping the families of victims of the 9/11 tragedy are also being investigated in the United States. The media mogul is due to appear before a Parliamentary committee on July 19, 2011, after first distancing himself from the fray, and there is speculation is that his son will be the next head to roll as the scandal continues to unfold.

The News of the World reporter interviewed on CNN mentioned that, when last seen, Sean Hoare, who had a heart condition, looked "very stressed, " and said that, although some had suggested suicide, there was no evidence, so far, to support that conclusion. Still, the timing of Sean Hoare's enigmatic death is raising eyebrows and sparking conspiracy theories worldwide.

When asked if he, also, was stressed, the former News of the World reporter said that three different people were impersonating him on Twitter, which caused his relatives to think he had lost his mind. He also said that he was semi-retired from journalism and now owned a bar, but that he could not stand behind his own bar for fear of someone throwing a glass at him, which had already occurred.

Officials released a comment that "the death is currently being treated as unexplained, but not thought to be suspicious." A New York Times comment from a reader was, "This is beginning to sound like a movie script. Whistle-blower found dead. Only problem is, it's NOT a movie. A real person has died." For me, the series that immediately came to mind was the recently-canceled "Rubicon," although many others referenced "Law and Order."

The term "schadenfreude" was being bandied about on the program, which referenced the joy others take when the mighty fall, as seems to be happening to the man (Rupert Murdoch) who owns the Wall Street Journal and Fox News.