Police: Suicide method one used on TV

ALBUQUERQUE, July 16 (UPI) -- Investigators in New Mexico say that a Red Lobster executive killed himself using a trick possibly copied from a TV show to make it look like murder.

Thomas Hickman's body was found in March in a field 100 miles east of Albuquerque, duct tape covering his mouth. A Smith & Wesson Airweight handgun was discovered nearby attached to helium balloons.

New Mexico State Police detectives at first believed that Hickman had been kidnapped and killed. But they have now concluded that he killed himself after driving from his home in the Dallas suburb of North Richland Hills until his SUV ran out of gas, the Dallas Morning News reported.

Hickman believed the balloons would carry the gun far enough away that it would not be connected to him.

"This was apparently an elaborate attempt to make it look like he was murdered," Lt. Rick Anglada said. "Investigators were able to show that he purchased the balloons and purchased the gun. We also found shavings from the gun in his garage.

A similar device was used in a 2003 episode of "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation," although investigators do not know if Hickman ever saw the show.

Hickman was in charge of Red Lobster operations in four states.