Letter: Bell, Flud acted properly in Chandler case

Friday, April 21, 2000 | 9:43 a.m.

So Dan Chandler wants the death of his son ruled accidental, and he thinks that because District Attorney Stewart Bell and County Coroner Ron Flud do not agree with him they must be hiding something.

More than likely, what they are hiding is their mounting annoyance, and who could blame them? Chandler has an army of people in high places pulling strings on his behalf. That Bell and Flud won't budge under such pressure shows a surplus of integrity, not a lack of compassion.

The fact is, Chandler waited too long (four years after his son's death, two years after his statutory window of opportunity) to appeal Flud's ruling of suicide. (Besides which, all of the apparently undisputed evidence indicates that Chan mixed a suicidal amount of alcohol with crack cocaine shortly before "accidentally" shooting himself.)

One has to wonder, in any case, how Chandler hopes to preserve his son's dignity by having his death ruled an accident of the most stupid and undignified sort. At least a suicide is a purposeful act, which is the very thing that seemed to be missing in the life of this unfortunate, rudderless young man.

No one can argue that Chan's death is anything less than a terrible tragedy. And no one can say that Chan's father didn't love him very much. But it sounds like what Chan really needed was someone to raise him.

Nothing Bell and Flud do (or don't do) will change that. They should not be asked to forsake their sworn duties to take part in some ritual of fatherly remorse -- no matter who that father is or how powerful his pals are. It's far too little, much too late.

HENRY BREAN Pahrump