Death
In July 1968, Nelson failed to appear for a planned meeting with an old friend. John DuBois, at whose house the meeting was supposed to take place, became worried and drove to Nelson's camp. When he surveyed the campsite, everything appeared to be in order, until he got to Nelson's chickee.
Nelson was found dead in his cabin from a shotgun blast to his stomach on July 30, 1968. The Coroner's Office ruled it a suicide, and the Martin County Sheriff's Office deemed it a "pretty clear-cut case". However, many Florida locals had their doubts. "If it were a suicide, why did he do a head shot instead of a chest shot?" asked Bessie DuBois. The theory was that he stuck the shotgun in the ground, leaned over and pulled the trigger, even though it would have taken considerable effort and flexibility on Nelson's part.
It was undeniable that Nelson had enemies. Floridian trappers envied his skill and viewed him as an outsider because he was from New Jersey. The State wanted to develop his land into condominiums and golf courses. Shortly before his death, a man who repaired one of Nelson's jeeps found out he was sick and had not seen a doctor in six months. The man took him to a doctor who prescribed him painkillers. A neighbor, and the last man to see Nelson alive, speculated: "I guess it would be possible for someone to sneak up on him. Ordinarily it would be impossible... but if he were doped up, well that would be different."
Some friends considered suicide a possibility, however. His stomach pains may have taken a substantial part in a decision to end his life. An executor of Nelson's will said he had told his sister that he would "rather die than be an invalid."
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