© 2025 Boise State Public Radio
NPR in Idaho
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Protect my public media

Hunter S. Thompson Found Dead at His Home

Hunter S. Thompson on the cover of his 2003 book <i>Kingdom of Fear</i>.
Hunter S. Thompson on the cover of his 2003 book Kingdom of Fear.

The counter-culture author Hunter Thompson, who popularized a new form of personalized journalism, has died at 67 in what investigators believe to be a suicide. Thompson wrote the 1972 classic, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, the tale of a drug-abusing journalist and his lawyer visiting a motocross race.

With writers like Tom Wolfe and Gay Talese, Thompson was known for a new style of journalism, full of wide-ranging impressions and the author's personality. In his case, that personality drew fans and outrage, as Thompson's "gonzo journalism" recounted his drug use and a range of unconventional ideas.

Thompson was found dead Sunday in his home near Aspen, Colo., of an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Tags
Loren Jenkins
Loren Jenkins brings over 30 years of experience to his post as the senior editor of NPR's foreign desk.
Steve Inskeep is a host of NPR's Morning Edition, as well as NPR's morning news podcast Up First.

You make stories like this possible.

The biggest portion of Boise State Public Radio's funding comes from readers like you who value fact-based journalism and trustworthy information.

Your donation today helps make our local reporting free for our entire community.