Carolyn Baker (Speaking Truth to Power)
IN MEMORIAM MICHAEL C. RUPPERT, February 3, 1951 – April 13, 2014.
Sunday night following Mike’s Lifeboat Hour radio show, he was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. This was not a "fake" suicide. It was very well planned by Mike who gave us few clues but elaborate instructions for how to proceed without him. His wishes were to be cremated, and as of this moment, there are no plans for a memorial service. However, I will be taking his show this coming Sunday night, April 20, and the entire show will be an In Memoriam show for Mike with opportunities for listeners to call in.
It was my privilege to have known Mike for 14 years, to have worked with him, to have been mentored by him, and to have supported him in some of his darkest hours, including the more recent ones. I am posting this announcement with the blessing of his partner Jesse Re and his landlord, Jack Martin. Thank you Mike for all of the truth you courageously exposed and for the legacy of truth-telling you left us. Goodbye my friend. Your memory will live in hour hearts forever.
I have no more details to share than I am posting here. We should have much more information by Sunday night.
Please tune in to the Lifeboat Hour, Sunday night, April 20 at 9PM EST, 8 Central, 7 Mountain, 6 Pacific at www.prn.fm for an In Memoriam tribute to Mike hosted by Carolyn Baker
[Tributes to Mike from readers at Carolyn’s Facebook page.]
Richard Heinberg (Post Carbon Institute):
Just three weeks ago I saw Mike for the first time in four years. We talked at a restaurant; then, a couple of days later, I was a guest on his Lifeboat Hour radio show. He had clearly been to hell and back since we last saw each other, but appeared to have come to a better place within himself. He had a couple of big projects on the horizon and gave no hint of the end that he would choose. During the past decade he alerted many thousands of people to the precarious nature of our global, fossil-fueled industrial system, and many of those folks changed their careers or moved to another location in search of more resilience and sustainability. That’s a legacy that deserves enduring thanks.
Post Carbon Institute (via Facebook – Apr 15)
RIP Mike Ruppert. Mike’s writings, and the film (Collapse) made about him, brought awareness to a lot of people. For that, and for his fierce determination to speak the truth as he saw it, we will always be thankful.
Bart Anderson (Resilience co-editor)
I followed Mike’s peak oil writings over the years, and was always impressed with his courage and humanity. He was intrepid in pursuing stories, no matter how outrageous they seemed at first. Most of us could not follow him on all his restless intellectual journeys, but we knew that he was sincere and had our best interests at heart. He evoked a warm emotional response in many many people, as the spontaneous reactions to his death show.
Mike Ruppert’s Facebook page
with tributes
Cheri Roberts ("Crossing Over the Rubicon" R.I.P.: Michael C. Ruppert" at Cheri Speak)
A long piece with reactions from those close to Mike, and more background on his death.
… Michael Ruppert dedicated his life to exposing corruption and wrongdoing as an ex-LAPD narcotics officer and whistle-blower. He was a big and leading voice in activist movements from the Drug War and Peak Oil to 9/11 and more for more than 35-years. His books and videos have been read and watched by countless millions.
He was loved and respected and his tenacity was daunting. His work was hard, his victories hard-fought, his lessons life changing. …
More media coverage at
Daily Mail (UK)
Baller Status
Raw Story
Abby Martin (Breaking the Set, RT – via YouTube)
Abby Martin gives a heartfelt tribute to investigative journalist and former LAPD detective, Michael C. Ruppert, highlighting his career from exposing CIA drug trafficking to his groundbreaking research on ‘Peak Energy’ and remember his sincere devotion to truth and justice.
