Hunter S. Thompson's Colorado death to be reviewed by state investigators 20 years after death was ruled suicide

The Colorado Bureau of Investigation said on Tuesday that it will review the case of prolific journalist Hunter S. Thompson's death more than 20 years after local investigators ruled his death a suicide.

The Pitkin County investigators said in 2005 that Thompson shot himself on Feb. 20 of that year at Owl Farm, his property in Woody Creek, north of Aspen, when he was 67. Pitkin County's current sheriff, Michael Buglione, said on Tuesday that there's no new evidence suggesting foul play, but Thompson's family requested a review of the case.

"We understand the profound impact Hunter S. Thompson had on this community and beyond," Pitkin County Sheriff Michael Buglione said in a statement on Tuesday. "By bringing in an outside agency for a fresh look, we hope to provide a definitive and transparent review that may offer peace of mind to his family and the public."

CBI said there's no estimated timeline for its investigation, but that it would provide updates once completed.

The voicemail mailbox was full on a phone number listed for Thompson's widow, Anita, and an email was sent to her foundation seeking comment on the announcement.

Thompson was a well-known writer and journalist, popular in the counterculture movement of the 1970s. He wrote for Rolling Stone, Playboy, Esquire, ESPN.com, and countless other outlets, and is perhaps most well known for "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas," which was later adapted into the popular 1998 film, starring Johnny Depp and Benicio del Toro.

An obituary for Thompson said, he's credited "alongside Tom Wolfe and Gay Talese with helping pioneer New Journalism -- or, as he dubbed it, "gonzo journalism" -- in which the writer made himself an essential component of the story."

In 1970, Thompson ran for sheriff of Pitkin County on the "Freak Power" ticket, losing to incumbent Democrat Carrol D. Whitmire by fewer than 500 votes.

Born in Kentucky, Thompson made Colorado his home, having lived in Aspen before later moving to Woody Creek, about 10 miles north.

In 1969, Thompson received a royalty check for sales of his book "Hell's Angels," and used that money as a down payment on a home and property in Woody Creek, according to his book "Fear and Loathing in America," a collection of hundreds of letters he wrote over the years, which was published in 2000. 

The property was 110 acres, and he turned it into what he described as a "fortified compound," according to one of his biographers.

Months after his death, a private funeral was held at the property, where his ashes were shot out of a cannon, per his long-standing wishes, according to his wife.

"It's expensive, but worth every penny," Anita Thompson said at the time. "I'd like to have several explosions. He loved explosions."

His funeral was attended by around 280 people, including Charlie Rose, Jack Nicholson, John Cusack, Bill Murray, John Oates, and Jimmy Buffett.

In 2016, CBS News reported that his widow found a way to extract DNA from the marijuana her husband smoked, which she saved after he died, and would sell it in Colorado.

Now, a makeshift shrine for Hunter S. Thompson sits in Snowmass, about 7 miles west of Aspen.