Hunter S. Thompson, the inventor of Gonzo journalism, has been immortalized not only through his writing but also in cinema. Johnny Depp played Thompson's alter ego, Raoul Duke in the 1998 adaptation of Thompson's Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.
Thompson was born in Louisville, KY, in 1937. In 1955 he served 31 days in Jefferson County Jail for being an accessory to robbery and failed to graduate high school. He instead joined the Air Force and was honorably discharged in 1958.
After the military, he worked as a sports editor in Jersey Shore, PA before moving to New York City. In New York, he worked for Time as a copy boy until he was fired for insubordination. He traveled between the US and foreign countries, including Brazil and Puerto Rico, until he landed with the Hell's Angels in 1965. Thompson was assigned to write about the Hell's Angels by The Nation editor Carey McWilliams, and that piece was so popular that book offers followed
Thompson spent a year with the biker gang and wrote "Hell's Angels: A Strange and Terrible Saga" in 1967 and his more well-known work Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas in 1971.
After a storied life that also included a 1970 campaign for Pitkin County sheriff (on the "Freak Power" ticket), Thompson died in 2005 at his compound, Owl Farm, in Woody Creek, CO. Authorities confirmed he died of a gunshot wound and ruled the death a suicide.
But controversy followed his death, and his wife Anita asked authorities to reopen their investigation.
Investigation into ‘Fear and Loathing’ writer Hunter S. Thompson’s 2005 suicide reopened https://t.co/zcnBsWQhuP pic.twitter.com/KzMbAHaBOn
— New York Post (@nypost) October 1, 2025
Here's more from the New York Post:
Federal investigators will reopen a probe into the death of legendary “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas” writer Hunter S. Thompson more than 20 years after it was ruled a suicide.
The Colorado Bureau of Investigation said it will re-examine the official determination following a request by the late gonzo journalist’s widow, Anita Thompson.
“We understand the profound impact Hunter S. Thompson had on this community and beyond,” said the sheriff, Michael Buglione, in a press release Tuesday. “By bringing in an outside agency for a fresh look, we hope to provide a definitive and transparent review that may offer peace of mind to his family and the public.”
Authorities believe a note penned by Thompson called "Football Season is Over" pointed to suicide. "No More Games. No More Bombs. No More Walking. No More Fun. No More Swimming. 67. That is 17 years past 50. 17 more than I needed or wanted. Boring. I am always bitchy. No Fun — for anybody. 67. You are getting Greedy. Act your old age. Relax — This won’t hurt," the note read.
His wife Anita was on the phone with Thompson when she heard the gun shot and, in 2005, told authorities "I didn’t believe it," thinking Hunter had suffered a fall.
In August, 2005, Thompson's friend -- including actor Johnny Depp - held a funeral for him. Thompson's ashes were fired from a cannon at Owl Farm, complete with fireworks and music. The affair cost $3 million and was paid for by Depp who said, "All I'm doing is trying to make sure his last wish comes true. I just want to send my pal out the way he wants to go out."
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