THE MYSTERY OF THE DEATH OF STORMY MCDONALD

Late last summer, I spent 3 weeks in the hospital with pneumonia, severe sepsis, and a mild heart attack. While I am still alive, I want to write about something that has been in the back of my mind for years. THIS NARRATIVE is TOTALLY SPECULATIVE. Speculative means that I am making some statements that cannot be empirically supported. No one should believe this without reading other material. I am writing this in first person so that I can informally make some statements that may be really open to interpretation. In other words, the chances are that this is much more likely to  be wrong than correct.

Some chance is that portions are correct, however that would be chance. I am doing this because my life is probably shorter, that the folks that I have talked to are in their graves, and that the source material is dated. So I am writing by my emotions in case that someone else may find this material helpful in some way.

The cast of characters is Eugene “Stormy” McDonald. He was golden in terms of money and  appearance.  He had many friends. Unfortunately, he was slightly above average in intelligence. 

Peter Fonda is the son of the late Henry Fonda and brother of Jane Fonda. He has earned in his own effort a number of  critical acclaim that places him in the upper echelons of  his craft.  He was also a friend of Stormy McDonald.

Roger Dunbier was a genius and a talented art evaluator and university professor. He also became guardian of  Stormy at age 16.

Everyone else are  folks that have died or moved on. So I do have some material. but it can’t be substantiated.

Last, I am Joel Charles Snell.  After studying at a small Liberal Arts college in central Nebraska, I came back home to Omaha, Nebraska. I had a cultural shock of living in the middle of Nebraska when I was acclimated to  urban culture  in the Omaha, and Council Bluff area . As I arrived on campus, Peter and Stormy just left. This would be in January, 1962. I heard many stories about the two. Dunbier was

from Omaha and went to a prestige school in England. He arrived back home and taught for a year or two at what was then called Omaha University.

 It was one of the last university to be owned by a city. Later, it would become the University of Nebraska- Omaha.  Omaha U. had roughly 7,000 students in 62′ Textbooks were three to five dollars. Most students lived at home and went to school in the same town. At the time, it was a blue collar commuter college.  However, a sizable cohort of students came from all over the world. The school had a “boot strap” program to help military  women and men finish college and be promoted to higher officer rank.

Although it was a college for the lower and middle classes, it was very pretty and was located in one of most colorful and attractive areas of the city. Most of the surroundings were upper  middle to upper class. The structure and arrangement of the campus in no way lessened that value of the surrounding neighborhoods. Today, it is a full complete university with a talented president  and  numerous new brick buildings and other attractive elements in the surrounding environs.  It also has dorms and satellite campuses.

Roger taught there to begin his academic career. Both Stormy and Peter were there because they were being punished for their  behavior as youngsters. Henry Fonda had a sister that was the grand dame of  Omaha drama subculture, and somehow she would  look after Peter and Stormy.

For the most part, they were part of the school but did not attend classes very often. Peter was in one play at Omaha U. Tuition was modest. Many classes were small and the University carried on.

I did not meet or talk to any of the three. I was anxious and confused and stumbled through the university.  My grades were good and I won a few honors. .  The three however were famous and the school was proud to have them. So the information is second or third hand. Most had stories about Peter. He and Stormy must have suffered greatly given their backgrounds and experience.

To the best of my knowledge, neither Henry or Jane ever came to see Peter and his friends. I never saw them.

Given this back drop, we move to Arizona, February of 1965. Stormy was attending a post secondary school in the area. Peter lived elsewhere and Roger lived in the same city. After graduating, Stormy may have moved into his father’s corporation with a nice title, plenty of free time, and others that were competent

to review his work and surround him so that nothing was done that might hurt the brand.

Unfortunately, Stormy committed suicide.  His body was in a chair and a gun was found nearby. Now let’s imagine what might have happened. I DON’T BELIEVE THAT STORMY COMMITTED SUICIDE. In my imagination, Stormy was drinking with perhaps one other person. He was still in his 20’s and loaded guns were in the house.  Let’s say the other will be called SECOND PERSON.  The two continue to talk and drink. Guns are nearby. In a very strange way, Second person ACCIDENTALLY KILLS  Stormy.

From the various accounts Stormy would have had to do a remarkable job in terms of the angle that he used to kill himself. The police might note that a rich kid died. They would be happy to accept the suicide as the lawful account and get on the docket the next case.

In talking with a friend who died a number of years ago, he talked with another who maintained that he knew that there was SECOND PERSON and THIRD PERSON. It may have been Roger Dunbier then again, it may not. It was so long ago when he (my  friend)  told me that it so I want to rule out Dunbier. He has been dead since the late 90’s and he doesn’t deserve some speculation about this episode. However, let’s introduce THIRD PERSON.

Third person is the adult among the three. He is called to help Second Person’s panicked behavior.  Third Person comes to the house and helps Second Person stage the apparent suicide. They also clean up the house and leave as soon as possible. Stormy is found and an autopsy was done. The court interviews a number of possible connections including  Peter Fonda. Fonda was hundreds of miles away from Stormy’s Arizona home and Peter was judged to not have been part of his friends death. Suicide is ruled to be the likely outcome.

What  I believe is that if there is any credence to what I have written, it is the third person. Please recall that Third Person was not only helping Second Person, but was violating the law. Third Person must have reasoned  that,  Second Person warranted the risky support.

What I do believe is that the case will not be solved, but that STORMY DID NOT COMMIT suicide. All the rest even including the information that I believe that I heard is suspect. Why?  I have had a number of surgeries that have impaired my memory and  so much time has passed  as this is being written 2015. That is 50 years later.

So in no way is this to sully Stormy McDonald, Roger Dunbier or Peter Fonda.  If anything it is written to support Stormy McDonald. He was probably accidentally killed and is now with ages.

Prof. Joel C. Snell

Emeritus

Kirkwood College

Cedar Rapids, Iowa

(please see joelsnell.com)