Pubdate: Thu, 19 Mar 2009
Source: Pacific Northwest Inlander, The (US WA)
Copyright: Inland Publications, Inc. 2009
Contact:  http://www.inlander.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3757
Author: Kevin Taylor
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/mjcn.htm (Cannabis - Canada)
Bookmark: http://mapinc.org/people/Lindsay+Brown

DAREDEVIL'S FINAL ACT

A Young Canadian Mountain Biker, Facing U.S. Drug Charges, Takes His 
Own Life In Spokane's Jail

Any suicide leaves behind painful, unanswered questions, but the 
hanging death three weeks ago of Samuel Jackson Lindsay-Brown leaves 
more than most.

In addition to the searing questions for family and friends over why 
he ended his life, no information has yet been released about 
Lindsay-Brown's involvement in the murky world of cross-border drug 
smuggling and why undercover agents busted him when they did. His 
passing has become big news across western Canada, where he is seen 
as a casualty in the U.S. government's war on drugs.

The 24-year-old Canadian was arrested Feb. 23 on federal drug 
trafficking charges after flying a helicopter bearing 350 pounds of 
marijuana over the border in crappy weather at night. Lindsay-Brown 
landed in a clearing in the Colville National Forest to rendezvous 
with men who turned out to be undercover agents with the Drug 
Enforcement Administration.

He was booked into the Spokane County Jail Feb. 24 and, using 
ingenuity and a bed sheet, hanged himself in his cell three days later.

His loss is keenly felt in the tight-knit world of mountain bikers, 
where a tribute site soon appeared on the Web and continues to draw 
postings that mourn Lindsay-Brown's death as well as videos of his 
daredevil riding feats and stories of his charisma and skill.

"He was an amazing trail builder and an acclaimed rider," says Cam 
McRae, editor of the North Shore Mountain Biking Website, who set up 
the tribute that appears at www.nsmb.com and www.pinkbike.com .

"I only met him the once, and that was nearly 10 years ago, but he 
really came across as a special kind of person," McRae says. "He was 
riding around on sharp-edged pedals in bare feet. He looked like a 
forest elf - gentle, soft-spoken. His appearance and demeanor were 
really striking."

McRae and some friends had just finished riding a trail known as the 
Monster, near Kaslo, which he and others say is among the best 
they've ever ridden, a trail largely built by Lindsay-Brown. Another 
legendary feature Lindsay-Brown constructed is the Disconstructed 
Wheel, a towering wooden hamster wheel.

Lindsay-Brown displayed the same level of ingenuity when it came to 
ending his life in a jail cell designed to foil suicide attempts.

"Jail cells have been refined to the point where it is very difficult 
to do that," says Sgt. Joe Peterson of the Spokane Police Major Crimes Unit.

Peterson, recounting the investigation into the death, says 
Lindsay-Brown was alone after his cellmate was taken to court at 9 
am. All appeared normal when lunch was served at 11:30.

It was about 1:20 pm when a trustee walked past the cell and noticed 
a towel obscuring the window in the door. Fifteen minutes earlier 
there had been no towel, the trustee says. The trustee alerted guards 
who found Lindsay-Brown hanging by a bed sheet from a wall-mounted 
light fixture.

The fixture is rounded and downward sloping to prevent suicide, 
Peterson says, but Lindsay-Brown worked it free just far enough from 
the wall so he could jam the sheet behind the base where it would 
hold his weight.

"He seemed very committed," to ending his life, Peterson says, adding 
that Lindsay-Brown gave no indication of despair to jailers, his 
cellmate or other inmates.

He left a note detailing his wishes for the distribution of his 
property. His father came down last week to claim the body and take it home.

No media has been able to reach family members. Brandon Adams, a 
reporter with the Revelstoke Times Review, says the family lives in a 
remote area known as Big Eddy. McRae says he was told the family 
lives a seven-mile hike from the nearest road.

The DEA is refusing to comment on the investigation, as are Canadian 
authorities. Which leaves only the online memories such as this:

"We always used to refer to him as 'Smiles,' as that's all he would 
do, just smile and love life everyday as much as he could. He showed 
us all how to really appreciate life," writes surfnsteve13, who is 
organizing a tribute ride for Lindsay-Brown this spring.
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