I'll tell you what Chuck, this is how I feel about it:
He has mental/emotional problems. Now I ain't a medical person but I also don't have to be a meteorologist to know it is hot outside. When he initially manufactured that earlier drama, it was an offense, it hurt people and we reacted in kind. When I contacted him a week or so later and found him to still be lying, I was like "okay, I do not have to be a party to this." That is what I believe, just because your friend or acquaintance or associate has disfunction going on in their life, you do not have to let it in you life. I will go as far as this: you have a duty to protect yourself from it.
Then he came back here and continued to lie to people, to misrepresent his suicide attempt, oblivious to the fact people talk and already knew about his legal troubles, which are a matter of public record, anyone can look it up. Then a week later he was posting a sermon he had delivered telling an entirely different story about it. I don't know, I don't understand this need of his to fabricate a reality where there is no reality. It seems that just what he does. I don't know the cause, hell he might be a twisted savant for all I know, or care. I mean really, I stopped caring a long time ago.
I just hope he does not try and come back as some other on line persona. I think I will always have some level of suspicion in the future.
I hope he gets help. I say that because I want him to be happy and I cannot see anyway he can be with the path he has taken. It is beyond our ability to help him. His attempt at ending his life was a cry and I think this latest fabrication that he has passed away is another. Perhaps he thinks we are all going to come here and post our regret over not reaching out to him, blah, blah blah, brother help yourself. You get one shot at this and here lately you are shooting yourself in the foot.