Plot thickened: Suicide mimicked CSI

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - It looked like something out of "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation." And sure enough, it was.

State police said yesterday that they solved a mysterious eastern New Mexico shooting death that was similar to a shooting depicted in a 2003 "CSI" episode. In both cases a revolver was found tied to balloons in an apparent effort to make the weapon float away.

After an investigation that included a detective renting a copy of the episode, authorities determined that Thomas Hickman committed suicide, seemingly to get a double insurance payout for his wife.

"We're not saying it's a copycat of the TV show," state police Lt. Rick Anglada said. "We have no way to know he actually saw the episode. However, the lead agent kept hearing from people that there was a similar case from 'CSI.' "

At first, investigators suspected homicide when Hickman, 55, of North Richland Hills, Texas, was found dead March 15 along U.S. 84 southeast of Santa Rosa, his mouth covered by duct tape.

The clue that linked the case to the TV series: six or seven white balloons found entangled in a cholla cactus, some 30 feet from the body.

So the detective rented the show and took notes.

Police found handgrips that belonged on the gun in Hickman's garage.

Only a single spent shell casing remained in the chamber, Anglada said, and there was no evidence the 6-foot-6, 260-pound Hickman had resisted his death.

They also found he held a life insurance policy that would pay his wife $388,000 or double that amount if his death was accidental.

"Everything just pointed back to Thomas Hickman killing himself," Anglada said. *