Florida Man Takes His Own Life in Elaborate Suicide Plan Using a Weather Balloon
Alan Abrahamson
On the morning of January 25, 2018, Palm Beach Gardens Police responded to a puzzling scene: 71-year-old Alan Abrahamson was found dead in an empty field near the community golf course in the affluent Ballen Isles neighborhood. Abrahamson had a single gunshot wound to the heart, but no weapon was found nearby.
“I thought it was odd he was lying face up,” said Colleen Machado, senior crime analyst with Palm Beach Gardens Police. “It was almost like he had fallen perfectly.” The body was still warm, suggesting Abrahamson, described by those who knew him as the “life of the party,” had died shortly before police arrived. The precise placement of the wound led investigators to initially consider suicide—but the absence of a gun complicated the picture.
Retired Palm Beach Gardens Detective Rick Moretti explained, “When you don’t have a gun and you’ve got a deceased person in an open field with a single gunshot wound to the chest, it looks like a homicide.” Abrahamson’s wallet remained in his back pocket. Nearby, detectives found a curious assortment of items: his cell phone, earbuds, scissors, rubber bands, and a binder clip.
Wife Provides Insight
Authorities contacted Abrahamson’s wife, Linda, who was visiting their daughter in Boston at the time of his death. Assistant Chief Randall Anderson described her reaction as “complete distress.” According to Linda, Abrahamson had initially accompanied her but grew bored and returned to West Palm Beach on January 21, planning to fly back to Boston on January 28.
“Linda described Alan as the life of the party,” Anderson said. “He seemed happy, enjoyed living in Ballen Isles, and loved golfing with his friends.” Investigators learned Abrahamson typically walked early in the neighborhood and carried $300–$500 in cash in a binder clip in his pocket. With his money and expensive watch missing, authorities briefly considered a robbery, though there were no signs of struggle and the area was considered safe.
Autopsy Reveals Close-Range Shooting
The autopsy showed the gunshot wound to Abrahamson’s left chest, with a small streak of blood traveling upward toward his shoulder. “It appeared something dragged through the blood after the shot,” Moretti noted. Unburned gun particles on his sweatshirt indicated the shot was fired at very close range.
At the time, Abrahamson was estranged from his adult children, who lived far away and had solid alibis. They could not imagine a motive for homicide.
Strange Purchases Before Death
Detectives traced Abrahamson’s last days and discovered he bought two 40-cubic-foot helium tanks. “Why is he buying 80 cubic feet of helium?” Moretti asked. The night before his death, Abrahamson spent 55 minutes in the exact field where he would later die. Surveillance footage captured him leaving Ballen Isles at 5:53 a.m. on January 25, carrying something in his left hand. Thirty-seven minutes later, a gunshot was heard, though not captured on camera. Investigators noted the short walk to the location should have taken just four minutes, raising questions about what he did in the interim.
Additionally, Abrahamson had purchased a weather balloon about a month prior, an unusual buy for him.
Theories About His Death
Investigators developed a theory: Abrahamson may have committed suicide using a string attached to the weather balloon to lift the gun after firing. This could explain the rubber bands, string, and the blood trail. A deeper dive into his phone revealed searches related to suicide dating back to 2009. Voice commands included questions such as, “Do life insurance policies pay for suicide?” and “Shot in the heart. Do you die instantly?”
“He was contemplating this for 10 years,” Moretti said. “Many searches were in his own voice.” Anderson added, “It was like he was leaving evidence from beyond the grave.”
Authorities concluded Abrahamson had hidden his mental health struggles from his family. He likely filled the weather balloon with helium, disposed of the tanks in a nearby dumpster, and used the balloon to carry away the gun, which probably burst over the Atlantic Ocean north of the Bahamas.
Detectives believe Abrahamson wanted his death to appear peaceful, leaving loved ones with the impression he had died happily, even while struggling in private.
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