I read about the Tommy Burkett unexplained death. Was it suicide or murder? I have been on crime scenes of suicide victims and not once have I ever seen the positioning of a gun on the victims lap. Different calibers of guns have a different force or kick to them. From what I can see from the picture it looks like a large caliber hand gun maybe a .38 caliber. Placing they gun in ones mouth and firing with a large caliber hand gun, if right handed the gun when fired will kick away from the victim, out of his mouth and his arm will be pushed out away from the body and land either in front slightly to the right of his legs or more commonly land on the right side of the victim and on the floor. It's like watching Clint Eastwood in a Dirty Harry movies, when he fires his gun it kicks back and up towards him because he is firing the gun away from him. Sorry, it's the only example I could think of for those who don't know what a kick is. Now if Clint held the gun in his mouth and fired which way will the force and kick of the gun go? Away from him because now the gun is facing him and not firing the gun at a bad guy. As for the positioning of the body upright on the couch with legs crossed, Highly unlikely. Victims of suicide especially male, tend to spread there legs apart before firing. They don't cross their legs like they would when kicking back and relaxing to watch a show on T.V.. Most men are more comfortable siting with their legs slightly parted. When the Tommy fired the gun of such caliber and force or kick his leg on top would have coming slightly off the lower leg looking like slovenly not looking perfect when he was found. The body tends to move at time of death, that's when you say the way he was positioned after being shot and his body didn't move from were you found him, that's when he officially died that spot and no were else. His legs being tense and crossed is what gave it away the body was not found in a relaxed position. This is not a suicide, this is a staged murder in my opinion. Also, the gun being in his hands on his lap the force would have kick the arm away from the body and the gun would have fell onto the floor. I have yet to see the gun in a victims hand after the body dies and relaxes when being shot in the mouth or the head. The kick would force the gun out of his hands. That only happens in movies. Hope this helps his parents find justice for their son and some healing for themselves. Moses1

This is the exact same thing that happened to Curt Cobain of Nirvana.