In Memoriam: Casey Conn

On October 25th, 2010, Casey Conn was found parked on a dead-end road in his truck. He had been scheduled to be at work at 3 AM the previous Saturday at a local dairy farm. and at 2:18 had been seen on the surveillance camera of a nearby convenience store. He never showed up that day and it was not until the following Monday that Casey's Pickup truck was found near the town of Selina, Oklahoma. He had been the victim of a gunshot wound to the head.

The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation has ruled his death a suicide. Apparently it makes sense for a person to stop at a convenience store on the route to work, fill up on gas, and then shoot himself in the head with a 12-gauge shotgun.

Naturally, his family and friends disagree with their findings.

Casey was a senior at Oaks Mission High School. He played football, went hunting, and was a stereotypical "Good ole' Boy." He got into Trouble, and he got out of trouble. But for all I do know about him I'm ashamed to say, I didn't know him as well as I should have. He was my Step Brother, and I'm sorry to say, I didn't even know his middle name or his Birthday.

We were simply never that close. By the time Casey's mom married my dad, I was already away at college. By the time I came home, he was living with his father. We had almost nothing in common. I don't care for football, and find Hunting to be unsporting and a general waste of time. But he was Stacy's son, and made him important to me. So when I heard he had died, I immediately knew I had to make this.

I don't mourn the dead. I will not break down into tears asking some divinity why, oh why, was this person taken from us. Instead, I Celebrate his life, drink to his life's accomplishments, and try to immortalize his memory.

This painting was given to Casey's Mother for Christmas. She cried, and then she thanked me.

Casey Patrick Conn
Born: August 25th 1992
Died: October 23rd 2010

He will be missed.