‘No Way’ 32 Hammer Blows Were Suicide

A cancer patient killed by 32 hammer blows to the head could not possibly have committed suicide as detectives concluded, a coroner said today.

Lake County Coroner Dr. Daniel Thomas said he stands by his ruling that the death of James A. Cooley, 52, of Hobart was a homicide.

“No way in the world are they going to convince me this was a suicide,” Thomas said.

Cooley’s body was discovered in the basement of his home April 6 by his wife, Diane, who was returning from a shopping trip. Thomas said an autopsy revealed that the victim was killed with 32 blows from the claw end of a hammer found lying near the body.

“There’s no way he could get enough force to administer this kind of blow,” the coroner said. “There’s no way a man could hit himself this hard without losing consciousness and then continue to hit himself.”

Hobart police said the investigation is continuing, but reports filed by detectives indicate that the wounds were self-inflicted and Cooley’s death was a suicide. They said there was no sign of forced entry to the Cooley home and nothing was stolen.

Thomas said he has not talked recently with the investigating officers and does not know what evidence they used.