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Darwin Awards
2006 Slush Pile

This item was recently submitted by a reader.
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Vote to tell me what *you* think!

Dr. Bartha's Suicide Attempt

2006 Reader Submission
Pending Acceptance

Since Dr. Bartha is still alive as of today, I nominate this as an Honorable Mention. This man is so filled with hatred against his ex- that he's determined to deprive her of himself and their 6.4 million dollar 4-story home by using gas. He survives (as of today) and the home doesn't, nothing to say of the marriage. If he survives, he may face charges.

From the NY Times 7/11/06: Dr. Nicholas Bartha, a 66-year-old internist who lived in the building and had his office there.

A gas explosion destroyed a four-story town house on the Upper East Side on Monday morning, and law enforcement officials said they were investigating whether the thunderous blast was a bizarre last chapter in a divorce battle over who would end up owning the building.

Law enforcement officials said the explosion rocked the neighborhood less than two hours after Dr. Bartha had addressed a disjointed, erratically punctuated e-mail message to his former wife, Cordula, with copies sent to Gov. George E. Pataki and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger of California, and to the Fox News personalities Sean Hannity and Brit Hume, among others.

"In the message, he told her: “You always wanted me to sell the house. I always told you, ‘I will leave the house only if I am dead’ You ridiculed me. You should have taken it seriously.”

He also wrote, “When you read this lines your life will change forever. You deserve it. You will be transformed from gold digger to ash and rubbish digger.”

By the end of the day Monday, fire marshals and detectives from the Police Department’s arson and explosion squad were trying to piece together what had happened. One law enforcement official said detectives were investigating the possibility that Dr. Bartha had wanted to kill himself and blow up the building, but added: “Do we have him turning that gas on and lighting a match? No.”

Dr. Bartha had tried to kill himself several times as the divorce proceeding worked its way through the legal system, the law enforcement official said.

As part of the settlement, a judge ordered Dr. Bartha to auction off the building and divide the proceeds with his wife.

On Friday, a sheriff’s deputy arrived at Dr. Bartha’s with eviction papers, said Dr. Paul Mantia, whose office was in the same building.

From the NY Times 7/12/06: "Meanwhile, the sole occupant of 34 East 62nd Street at the time of the blast, Dr. Nicholas Bartha remained in critical condition as a result of the injuries and burns suffered as a result of the explosion and subsequent fires. Police officials said they had been unable to question him because of the extent of his injuries.

Police and fire officials said on Tuesday that they had uncovered evidence that the gas line coming into the house had been illegally tampered with. They said a valve had been inserted into a pipe near the gas meter and attached to the pipe whose end was being sought today."

Submitted on 07/12/2006

Submitted by: Charlotte Coolidge
Reference: The NY Times, 7/11 & 7/12/06

Copyright © 2006 DarwinAwards.com

>> Moderator Scores <<

James said:
Definitely Toss: Bystanders Hurt
Yes, I know all about this incident. I drove by that very building not a week before this happened. I agree, the Dr. resorted to extremes to "get back" at his wife, but in the process at least a dozen bystanders were injured by flying debris. Alas, "bystanders hurt" instantly disqualifies this! Too bad, it was an attractive building!


Fitzroy said:
Definitely Toss: Bystanders Hurt
If it was not for the bystander issue this would have real potential. I was amused by Jon Stewart's comments on the event the day it occured. Still, there are rules here. Thanks all the same for the submission.


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