Photo Credit: Netflix, American Conspiracy: The Octopus Murders

This Was Never Just a Suicide:

In August 1991, investigative journalist Danny Casolaro was found dead in a hotel bathtub in Martinsburg, West Virginia. His wrists were slashed. The death was officially ruled a suicide.

But after years of independent research, I believe that ruling was not only wrong- it’s part of larger cover-up.

Danny was not simply another victim of despair. He was lured to Martinsburg under false pretenses. He though he was on the brink of the biggest story of his career. Instead, he was silenced.

Photo credit: Netflix, American Conspiracy: The Octopus Murders.

How Danny was lured:

Danny told friends and family he was going to “meet a source” that weekend. He asked them to “hold down the fort.” He hinted that he was about to conclude his long-running investigation. It was what he called The Octopus. It was a tangled web of espionage, government corruption, weapons trafficking, and software theft involving PROMIS.

He didn’t bring his notes. For a man obsessed with detail, that was unusual. It suggests one of two things:

• Either he trusted the meeting enough to go unarmed with evidence… OR
• He was tricked.

The Suspect I can’t Ignore: Joseph Cuellar

Joseph Cuellar was a former military intelligence figure. He was also an associate of people Danny was investigating. He has emerged as a central figure in my theory.

I believe Cuellar helped orchestrate Danny’s final trip.

here’s why:

• A witness stated someone resembling Cuellar was seen in Danny’s room.
• Another man, Mike Looney was staying in the room next door. That’s no coincidence.
• Cuellar had connections to the Cabazon Arms project and Wackenhut, both recurring names in Danny’s research.

Cuellar is too close to the heart of this to ignore. In fact, he deserves and entire post of his own- and he’ll get one.

The Crime scene: Messy, Manipulated, Misleading.

Let’s talk about that hotel room.

• Danny’s wrists were slashed 12 times. Deep, violent cuts. His autopsy noted some went to the bone. that’s not a cry for help. That’s overkill.
• Blood was found on towels, the floor, and even on the toilet. The scene looked more like a crime of rage or desperation than a planned suicide.
• His body was discovered with a wine bottle- yet Danny rarely drank. Toxicology showed alcohol and a barbiturate in his system, both of which could’ve been used to incapacitate him.

And the kicker? His suicide note was typed and signed in pen. there were no fingerprints on it. None.

What Doesn’t Add Up:

Let’s walk through some core inconsistencies:

• No notes were recovered. His entire life’s work, hundreds of pages, gone. He supposedly left them with a friend, but they were never seen again.
• Danny told his family he feared for his life. Days before his trip, he told his brother, “If anything happens to me, don’t believe it was an accident.”
• The medical examiner changed his cause of death from undetermined to suicide- suspiciously fast.

Sources and Supporting Materials:

• American Conspiracy: The Octopus Murders ( Netflix, 2024)
• Official Martinsburg Police Report
• FOIA documents involving Cuellar, Cabazon Arms, and INSLAW.
• Testimonies from Danny’s friends and family.
• Multiple witness accounts, now publicly available, describing suspicious activity in the Sheraton Hotel that weekend.

Why It Matters:

if Danny was murdered-and I believe he was- then his death is not just a tragedy. It’s a warning. A silencing of someone who got too close to something big.

This case signifies the corruption that seeps into justice, media, and truth itself. Danny’s death should be reopened, re-examined, and relentlessly questioned.

I started a petition to have this case reopened: https://www.change.org/p/justice-for-danny-casolaro/dashboard?cs_tk=A6KaFouFKcq2PR4IQ2gAAXicyyvNyQEABF8BvGIyNWFlMDg0MzU2NmEwZGU0N2MxYTgxNjE1ZTk1MTMzY2I4MzNkOGQyNDZmMzE2OTUyZGRjNTdlZDA3YzBjZGY%3D&utm_campaign=6e80bad51f5a4e7c9789dfae72b93e5e&utm_content=initial_v0_2_0&utm_medium=email&utm_source=petition_published_onboarding_7&utm_term=cs

PLEASE check it out ❤

Coming Soon: A Closer Look at Joe Cuellar

I will dedicate an entire post to break down Cuellar’s background. I will also cover his known affiliations and his likely role in this deadly conspiracy.

If you’ve read this far, thank you. Please share this with anyone who believes truth still matters. And if you have tips, memories, or theories- drop them in the comments or reach out.

❤ Luna