Man Commits Suicide on His 60th Birthday

Martin Manley hated waking up early, but on his 60th birthday he did -- or more likely, never went to sleep the night before.

At 5 a.m. he entered a police station parking lot in a suburb of Kansas City, Kansas, walked to a spot beneath a tree on its far south end and pulled out his phone.

He dialed 911.

He said this:

"I want to report a suicide at the south end of the parking lot of the Overland Park Police Station at 123rd and Metcalf."

Then, the blogger and former sports reporter for the Kansas City Star pulled out his Saturday Night Special, a .380 pistol, and shot himself in the head.

At least according to his site, Manley's death was also a numbers game.

He claimed to be in good health and happy. He was financially sound, with an investment in gold worth $200,000.

He said he wasn't depressed -- "anyone who says I was is either ignorant or a liar" -- and sang in his church choir, enjoyed hobbies like his monthly poker game and claimed to not be lonely.

He said he just decided 60 was old enough. His most productive years were behind him, he feared the infirmity of old age and simply wanted to go out at a time and in a manner of his own choosing.

"I didn't want to die," he wrote. "If I could have waved a magic wand and lived for 200 years, I would have. Unfortunately, that's not an option.

"Therefore, since death is inevitable,

the better question is... do I want to live as long as humanly possible OR do I want to control the time and manner and circumstances of my death? That was my choice (and yours). I chose what was most appealing to me."

In the days afterward, some observers saw other factors, though.

Manley was twice divorced. He had no children, no nieces or nephews. His parents had both died: his mother in 2002, then his father in 2007. He had one sister and one brother and neither lived nearby or visited much.

Almost all of the recent photographs of him on his website appeared to be "selfies."

Those closest to Manley, though, backed his version.

"Well maybe he needed help, but he would never have admitted it or accepted it," his sister, Barbie Flick, wrote on a memorial site set up for him by a friend. "As far as lonely -- I believe that everyone who knew Martin, very much enjoyed his company."

Hours before his death, Manley scheduled a final post to his blog, Sports in Review, to publish and sent e-mails and overnight letters via FedEx to Flick, Weller and others telling them what he'd done. With him was a detailed message for police, apologizing for subjecting them to the suicide and explaining that his family and friends would be contacting them in a few hours. He'd left them the number to the police station.

So, did Manley, as he predicted, spend his final moments "thrilled" that he'd been able to leave this world having created a digital legacy for himself? Calhoun wonders.

"In the immediate time period preceding the final act, people tend, perhaps somewhat irrationally, to see escaping from the pain and distress as only possible by ending their lives," he said. "It is not uncommon, however, for people who attempt and 'fail' to be grateful that they did not succeed, perhaps in part because they have come to see alternatives to the only path they could see at the time."

Manley would have argued, according to friends -- would have argued passionately.

"I guarantee you from having imagined my way through it a hundred times, the only thing going through my head was asking forgiveness, remembering those whom I love, being glad I was able to end it the way I wanted and thrilled to death that I left this website," he wrote. "Don't weep for me dying alone. We ALL die alone."

Is this not Satan's strategy or what??