DAREDEVIL'S FINAL ACT

A Young Canadian Mountain Biker, Facing U.S. Drug Charges, Takes His
Own Life In Spokane's Jail

Any suicide leaves behind painful, unanswered questions, but the
hanging death three weeks ago of Samuel Jackson Lindsay-Brown leaves
more than most.

In addition to the searing questions for family and friends over why
he ended his life, no information has yet been released about
Lindsay-Brown's involvement in the murky world of cross-border drug
smuggling and why undercover agents busted him when they did. His
passing has become big news across western Canada, where he is seen
as a casualty in the U.S. government's war on drugs.

The 24-year-old Canadian was arrested Feb. 23 on federal drug
trafficking charges after flying a helicopter bearing 350 pounds of
marijuana over the border in crappy weather at night. Lindsay-Brown
landed in a clearing in the Colville National Forest to rendezvous
with men who turned out to be undercover agents with the Drug
Enforcement Administration.

He was booked into the Spokane County Jail Feb. 24 and, using
ingenuity and a bed sheet, hanged himself in his cell three days later.

His loss is keenly felt in the tight-knit world of mountain bikers,
where a tribute site soon appeared on the Web and continues to draw
postings that mourn Lindsay-Brown's death as well as videos of his
daredevil riding feats and stories of his charisma and skill.

"He was an amazing trail builder and an acclaimed rider," says Cam
McRae, editor of the North Shore Mountain Biking Website, who set up
the tribute that appears at www.nsmb.com and www.pinkbike.com .

"I only met him the once, and that was nearly 10 years ago, but he
really came across as a special kind of person," McRae says. "He was
riding around on sharp-edged pedals in bare feet. He looked like a
forest elf - gentle, soft-spoken. His appearance and demeanor were
really striking."

McRae and some friends had just finished riding a trail known as the
Monster, near Kaslo, which he and others say is among the best
they've ever ridden, a trail largely built by Lindsay-Brown. Another
legendary feature Lindsay-Brown constructed is the Disconstructed
Wheel, a towering wooden hamster wheel.

Lindsay-Brown displayed the same level of ingenuity when it came to
ending his life in a jail cell designed to foil suicide attempts.

"Jail cells have been refined to the point where it is very difficult
to do that," says Sgt. Joe Peterson of the Spokane Police Major Crimes Unit.

Peterson, recounting the investigation into the death, says
Lindsay-Brown was alone after his cellmate was taken to court at 9
am. All appeared normal when lunch was served at 11:30.

It was about 1:20 pm when a trustee walked past the cell and noticed
a towel obscuring the window in the door. Fifteen minutes earlier
there had been no towel, the trustee says. The trustee alerted guards
who found Lindsay-Brown hanging by a bed sheet from a wall-mounted
light fixture.

The fixture is rounded and downward sloping to prevent suicide,
Peterson says, but Lindsay-Brown worked it free just far enough from
the wall so he could jam the sheet behind the base where it would
hold his weight.

"He seemed very committed," to ending his life, Peterson says, adding
that Lindsay-Brown gave no indication of despair to jailers, his
cellmate or other inmates.

He left a note detailing his wishes for the distribution of his
property. His father came down last week to claim the body and take it home.

No media has been able to reach family members. Brandon Adams, a
reporter with the Revelstoke Times Review, says the family lives in a
remote area known as Big Eddy. McRae says he was told the family
lives a seven-mile hike from the nearest road.

The DEA is refusing to comment on the investigation, as are Canadian
authorities. Which leaves only the online memories such as this:

"We always used to refer to him as 'Smiles,' as that's all he would
do, just smile and love life everyday as much as he could. He showed
us all how to really appreciate life," writes surfnsteve13, who is
organizing a tribute ride for Lindsay-Brown this spring.