Autopsy results have been released in the case of a Fresno law enforcement activist who died earlier this year, shortly after posting online that he feared for his life.
John Lang’s body was found barricaded in a burning house on Van Ness Avenue in late January.
His body also had stab wounds.
Today, the Fresno County Coroner officially ruled his death a suicide, saying that the stab wounds were self-inflicted, and that the actual cause of death was smoke inhalation.
Lang was known as a critic of local law enforcement agencies and had written a lengthy online manifesto expressing deep fears that Fresno Police and the Fresno County Sheriff were investigating him.
A day before his death he wrote online that he feared he would be killed by authorities.
His neighbor, Tamara Olivarra said Lang seemed like a normal guy, except for the heavy security on his home.
“I know he was really security conscious. That big bulb on the outside was a camera. And I know he monitored that every day. He had security gates. I know he did web posts,” Olivarra said.
Both the police department and sheriff’s office say they had no contact with Lang and were not monitoring him.
Because of the manifesto and the odd nature of his death, the case sparked a minor internet controversy with the hacker group Anonymous promising to get involved.
