Thomas K. Mooney
Encyclopedia
Thomas K. Mooney was an American
diplomat
and Army officer until his disappearance and death in 2007.
of lieutenant colonel
in the United States Army
. He was posted as a Defense Attaché
at the U.S. embassy in Nicosia
, the capital of the Mediterranean
island nation
of Cyprus
.
He had been serving in Cyprus since June 2006, on his second posting to the country.
At the time of his death, Mooney was 45 years old, and he had a wife and two children.
to Cypriot authorities after a day in which the embassy conducted its own search. Deutsche Presse-Agentur
reported that "one colleague said he had been going to a fitness center at a Nicosia hotel," while another said Mooney planned to pick up somebody at the Larnaca International Airport
. His car, a black Chevrolet Impala
, was also missing.
A search on ground and by air included checks of port
s, airport
s, and checkpoints along the ceasefire line with the Turkish occupied part of Cyprus. The search ended when Cyprus authorities found Mooney dead four days later about 150 yards from his locked car on a dirt road
in the "foothills
of the Troodos mountains
," about 45 km (28 miles) southwest of Nicosia, in a remote area near the town of Lefka
, first reported by Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation
state radio
. Mooney was identified conclusively from dental records
.
Reports of the discovery of his body were confirmed by U.S. ambassador
Ronald L. Schlicher
. In a written statement to the media and posted on the embassy website, Schlicher said that "After the notification of next of kin
, with deep sadness, I announce that LTC Thomas Mooney, who served his nation with distinction as our Defense Attaché, was found dead by Cypriot authorities on Monday. The cause of his death is being investigated, and any further information will be released as appropriate." Schlicher also announced the cancellation of a planned July 2 Independence Day
reception. The State Department
said Mooney's death was not connected to terrorism
; State Department spokesman Sean McCormack
said that "I wouldn't point you in the direction of an act of terror." Amb. Schlicher said that Mooney's death had "no political or security implications."
Agence France-Presse
cited an official involved in the autopsy
speaking anonymously
as saying that Mooney's death was a suicide
and he died due to hemorrhaging after stabbing himself in the neck; the official said that "there was no evidence of foul play whatsover" and that the body was in a state of decomposition
. Cyprus police confirmed that Mooney died as a result of a neck wound but did not describe it as suicide, which is illegal in Cyprus.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
diplomat
Diplomacy
Diplomacy is the art and practice of conducting negotiations between representatives of groups or states...
and Army officer until his disappearance and death in 2007.
Background
Mooney held the rankMilitary rank
Military rank is a system of hierarchical relationships in armed forces or civil institutions organized along military lines. Usually, uniforms denote the bearer's rank by particular insignia affixed to the uniforms...
of lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant Colonel (United States)
In the United States Army, United States Air Force, and United States Marine Corps, a lieutenant colonel is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of major and just below the rank of colonel. It is equivalent to the naval rank of commander in the other uniformed services.The pay...
in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
. He was posted as a Defense Attaché
Attaché
Attaché is a French term in diplomacy referring to a person who is assigned to the diplomatic or administrative staff of a higher placed person or another service or agency...
at the U.S. embassy in Nicosia
Nicosia
Nicosia from , known locally as Lefkosia , is the capital and largest city in Cyprus, as well as its main business center. Nicosia is the only divided capital in the world, with the southern and the northern portions divided by a Green Line...
, the capital of the Mediterranean
Mediterranean Sea
The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean surrounded by the Mediterranean region and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Anatolia and Europe, on the south by North Africa, and on the east by the Levant...
island nation
Island nation
An island country is a state whose primary territory consists of one or more islands or parts of islands. As of 2011, 47 of the 193 UN member states are island countries.-Politics:...
of Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
.
He had been serving in Cyprus since June 2006, on his second posting to the country.
At the time of his death, Mooney was 45 years old, and he had a wife and two children.
Death
After reportedly being last seen leaving the embassy midday on June 28, 2007, Mooney was reported as a missing personMissing person
A missing person is a person who has disappeared for usually unknown reasons.Missing persons' photographs may be posted on bulletin boards, milk cartons, postcards, and websites, along with a phone number to be contacted if a sighting has been made....
to Cypriot authorities after a day in which the embassy conducted its own search. Deutsche Presse-Agentur
Deutsche Presse-Agentur
Deutsche Presse-Agentur GmbH is a news agency founded in 1949 in Germany. Based in Hamburg, it has grown to be a major worldwide operation serving print media, radio, television, online, mobile phones, and national news agencies. News is available in German, English, Spanish, and Arabic.The DPA...
reported that "one colleague said he had been going to a fitness center at a Nicosia hotel," while another said Mooney planned to pick up somebody at the Larnaca International Airport
Larnaca International Airport
Larnaca International Airport is an international airport located southwest of Larnaca, Cyprus. Larnaca International Airport is Cyprus' main international gateway and the larger of the country's two commercial airports, the other being Paphos International Airport on the island's southwestern...
. His car, a black Chevrolet Impala
Chevrolet Impala
The Chevrolet Impala is a full-size automobile built by the Chevrolet division of General Motors introduced for the 1958 model year. Deriving its name from the southern African antelope, Chevrolet's most expensive passenger model through 1965 had become the best-selling automobile in the United...
, was also missing.
A search on ground and by air included checks of port
Port
A port is a location on a coast or shore containing one or more harbors where ships can dock and transfer people or cargo to or from land....
s, airport
Airport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
s, and checkpoints along the ceasefire line with the Turkish occupied part of Cyprus. The search ended when Cyprus authorities found Mooney dead four days later about 150 yards from his locked car on a dirt road
Dirt road
Dirt road is a common term for an unpaved road made from the native material of the land surface through which it passes, known to highway engineers as subgrade material. Dirt roads are suitable for vehicles; a narrower path for pedestrians, animals, and possibly small vehicles would be called a...
in the "foothills
Foothills
Foothills are geographically defined as gradual increases in elevation at the base of a mountain range. They are a transition zone between plains and low relief hills to the adjacent topographically high mountains.-Examples:...
of the Troodos mountains
Troodos Mountains
Troodos is the biggest mountain range of Cyprus, located in the center of the island. Troodos' highest peak is Mount Olympus at 1,952 metres.The Troodos mountain range stretches across most of the western side of Cyprus...
," about 45 km (28 miles) southwest of Nicosia, in a remote area near the town of Lefka
Lefka
Lefka is a town in Northern Cyprus, overlooking Morphou Bay. It is located in the Nicosia District , in the area under Turkish control since the 1974 invasion. In 1997 Lefka had 6,000 inhabitants. The town is the site of the European University of Lefke....
, first reported by Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation
Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation
The Cyprus Broadcasting Corporation ) or CyBC is Cyprus's public broadcasting service, transmitting island-wide on four radio and two television channels. CyBC is a non-profit organization that utilises its entire income for the promotion of its main mission, which is the objective provision of...
state radio
Public broadcasting
Public broadcasting includes radio, television and other electronic media outlets whose primary mission is public service. Public broadcasters receive funding from diverse sources including license fees, individual contributions, public financing and commercial financing.Public broadcasting may be...
. Mooney was identified conclusively from dental records
Forensic Dentistry
Forensic dentistry or forensic odontology is the proper handling, examination and evaluation of dental evidence, which will be then presented in the interest of justice. The evidence that may be derived from teeth, is the age and identification of the person to whom the teeth belong...
.
Reports of the discovery of his body were confirmed by U.S. ambassador
Ambassador
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
Ronald L. Schlicher
Ronald L. Schlicher
Ronald Lewis Schlicher is an American diplomat and career foreign service officer with the rank of Minister-Counselor in the Department of State. He served as the Deputy Chief of Mission in Lebanon 1994–96 and ambassador to Cyprus 2006–08...
. In a written statement to the media and posted on the embassy website, Schlicher said that "After the notification of next of kin
Next of kin
Next of kin is a term with many interpretations depending on the jurisdiction being referred to. In some jurisdictions, such as the United States, it is used to describe a person's closest living blood relative or relatives...
, with deep sadness, I announce that LTC Thomas Mooney, who served his nation with distinction as our Defense Attaché, was found dead by Cypriot authorities on Monday. The cause of his death is being investigated, and any further information will be released as appropriate." Schlicher also announced the cancellation of a planned July 2 Independence Day
Independence Day (United States)
Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain...
reception. The State Department
United States Department of State
The United States Department of State , is the United States federal executive department responsible for international relations of the United States, equivalent to the foreign ministries of other countries...
said Mooney's death was not connected to terrorism
Terrorism
Terrorism is the systematic use of terror, especially as a means of coercion. In the international community, however, terrorism has no universally agreed, legally binding, criminal law definition...
; State Department spokesman Sean McCormack
Sean McCormack
Sean McCormack is a former United States Assistant Secretary of State. He was sworn in as Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs and Department Spokesman on June 2, 2005, and served until January 20, 2009.-Early career:...
said that "I wouldn't point you in the direction of an act of terror." Amb. Schlicher said that Mooney's death had "no political or security implications."
Agence France-Presse
Agence France-Presse
Agence France-Presse is a French news agency, the oldest one in the world, and one of the three largest with Associated Press and Reuters. It is also the largest French news agency. Currently, its CEO is Emmanuel Hoog and its news director Philippe Massonnet...
cited an official involved in the autopsy
Autopsy
An autopsy—also known as a post-mortem examination, necropsy , autopsia cadaverum, or obduction—is a highly specialized surgical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a corpse to determine the cause and manner of death and to evaluate any disease or injury that may be present...
speaking anonymously
Journalism sourcing
In journalism, a source is a person, publication, or other record or document that gives timely information. Outside journalism, sources are sometimes known as "news sources"...
as saying that Mooney's death was a suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
and he died due to hemorrhaging after stabbing himself in the neck; the official said that "there was no evidence of foul play whatsover" and that the body was in a state of decomposition
Decomposition
Decomposition is the process by which organic material is broken down into simpler forms of matter. The process is essential for recycling the finite matter that occupies physical space in the biome. Bodies of living organisms begin to decompose shortly after death...
. Cyprus police confirmed that Mooney died as a result of a neck wound but did not describe it as suicide, which is illegal in Cyprus.