Phoenix Veteran Committed Suicide At VA

Vet commits suicide on VA administration grounds
FOX 10 News
By Nicole Garcia
Posted: May 12, 2015

According to police Murphy, left a note describing his feelings and saying goodbye. A witness saw Murphy drive into the parking lot and heard a gunshot.

PHOENIX (KSAZ) - A veteran drove to the Phoenix VA headquarters this weekend, and then committed suicide in the parking lot.

Sources say the man was trying to make a statement, after numerous claims that our local VA has been letting suicidal veterans fall through the cracks.

Police say the 53-year-old veteran drove to the Phoenix VA regional office with a goodbye note and gun.

Sunday night 53-year-old Thomas Murphy drove to the VA with the intent of ending his life.

"I don't think there's anything more symbolic than to complete suicide on VA grounds," said Brandon Coleman.

Coleman works with at-risk vets. He came forward earlier this year to blow the whistle on the Phoenix VA's failure, to properly care for veterans on the verge of suicide.
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UPDATE
HOMELESS VETERAN COMMITS SUICIDE OUTSIDE PHOENIX VA
Phoenix New Times
BY MIRIAM WASSER
TUESDAY, MAY 12, 2015

Thomas Michael Murphy, a Phoenix resident and U.S. Army veteran, took his own life in the parking lot outside the VA Phoenix Regional Benefit Office.

Murphy, 53, e-mailed a suicide note to his siblings and New Times at 7:34 p.m. Sunday and shot himself a few minutes later. The same note was discovered in his 1995 white Toyota pickup truck, which was parked nearby.

In the letter, he explained that his arthritis was getting worse, and he “thanked” the VA for not helping him. A representative from the VA office, Jean Schaefer, declined to comment on Murphy’s medical records, citing privacy laws, but did call what happened “a tragedy” and said that the VA actively was looking into the situation.

The Phoenix VA has spent months in the national spotlight for issues of poor management, long wait lists, and falsified records. And most recently, late last week, the family of U.S. Army veteran Gene Spencer announced that it was suing the city’s VA for giving him an erroneous diagnosis that they say led to his suicide.
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