AMES, Iowa (GPI) -- Sure to throw a pall over Mitt Romney's win of the Iowa Republican straw poll, critically acclaimed investigative reporter, Ken Wolfson was found dead here early Sunday. Area police suspect foul play.

Shot in the mouth by a single .45 caliber bullet, Wolfson was found on the Iowa State University campus where thousands gathered Saturday for the Republican presidential primary straw poll. A University grounds keeper found the body at about 5:15 AM Sunday morning laid out neatly near the Fountain of the Four Seasons. A pistol was in Wolfson's right hand.

Story County coroner, Dr. William D. Turnbridge, had first pronounced the death a "suicide." However, within hours the Ames Crime Scene Investigation Unit described the scene as “suspicious." Death was caused by one fatal shot to the head where two bullets had apparently been fired. No bullet casings or any blood was found at the scene. Also, Wolfson's cell phone, blackberry and notes were all missing. Sources say that the only thing found on the body was a copy of the book "Ultimate Severance."

Contacted in New York, Wolfson’s associate and companion, Cynthia van Hoover, said Wolfson had flown to Ames last week to follow up a “hot tip phone call from Dubai” after running into a series of “roadblocks” with the investigation of the Ultimate Severance murders.

Wolfson's most recent stories chronicled a joint operation between the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security where Saudi national, Dr. Ali al-Aboukar aka Hamid al-Sammara, had been taken in custody in connection with the murders of Pasquel Valentine and Al Tate. The Public Relations execs are alleged to have collected millions of dollars in fees from nefarious international clients served through cut-off subsidiary PR firms. Doctor al-Aboukar, who sources say masterminded the elaborate cover up, was released last week after pressure from the Saudi government.

Ms. van Hoover vehemently disputed that Wolfson's death was a suicide. "He absolutely hated guns and was left-handed," she said.

Wolfson's career spanned more than 25 years. He began his career in the late 1980s at the infamous San Francisco alternative paper, People's Gazette; and in 1986, joined the Financial News Network as director of investigative reporting. In 1993 Ken gained national notoriety for his investigation into the pharma industry which was the subject of the Academy-Award-nominated documentary film "Dr. Feel Good." Wolfson, co-founder of the Stamford Center for Investigative Journalism, is also the recipient of numerous Emmys and other honors, including three Alfred I. duPont-Columbia University silver and golden Baton awards, two Peabodys and a Polk Award.

Results of the autopsy are expected later this week. Funeral arrangements have yet to be announced.

EDITOR'S NOTE: For more information, see Saudi Royals Quash Ultimate Severance Murder Probe.

So... ya think eleven F-bombs in less than a minute and a half is too much? Hmmmmm... maybe. Surely, there are exceptions. This is one. All things considered, eleven just might not be enough.

We are pleased to feature another video snippet from Loren Feldman. Loren is president of 1938 Media, an Internet video and consulting company based in New York City. He also hosts a web show by the same name. It's unscripted, it's funny, it's often frivolous... but about 20 percent of the time he absolutely channels G-d. This is one of those times.

WARNING: This is a raw personal rant about the dangers of social media. It's a stark wake up call. Loren's a modern-day Simon in Lord of the Flies.

Let alone the warning about what these tools can do to us in the wrong hands... what are we doing to ourselves to accommodate their false promise?

By way of a little story, friends of Strumpette recently launched a MySpace-like community. Very promising at the outset but in short order it became a microcosm of the problem. Three months and seven thousand plus members later... and its signature is already a composite of our industry's youngest and loudest knuckleheads. Just like Golding's novel, it's an island: uncivilized, unsupervised, and isolated. You've got SEO banditos who don’t know shit drowning out and totally dismantling 100 years of genuine communications knowledge and expertise. There are no rules, no managed intellectual vetting, and no learnings other than dumb mob mentality. It truly is Lord of the Flies and the schoolboys have already turned savages.

Worse yet, the proprietors -- OUR INDUSTRY FOR CHRIST'S SAKE! -- does nothing. We were once a professional discipline whose calling card was that we were going to make something happen with character and integrity. We were hired to foster our own genuine beliefs and truly make a difference. Now instead we are lulled by self interest. We are too busy counting the current deluge of cash. If you want us, you need to make it worth our while. Sad but true.

HERE: We challenged PR's top leaders a few weeks ago. So far, one showed up. WHERE'S THE OUTRAGE?! Surely eleven F-bombs are not enough.

This just in.... Fleishman-Hillard Inc., one of the world's premier public relations firms, is going to the dogs. Having built its reputation on "using strategic communications to deliver meaningful, positive, and measurable impact on the performance of organizations," the agency announced late Tuesday that it has formed an animal care practice.

According to the news release: the group will be headed by Senior Vice President Catherine Haskins and co-chaired by Doug Bell, General Manager of F-H Cleveland; it will be composed of about 35 employees; offices include St. Louis, Cleveland, and Frankfurt, Germany; and the dog group also will focus on issues management and public affairs.

Bell spun the whole thing by saying, "Animals and humans share many of the same health care issues, from obesity to joint health to social anxiety. Policies that affect the research, development, commercialization, and regulation of human health products affect the animal health sector and vice versa."

However, most PR insiders were expecting the announcement and see this as the third phase of a three part growth strategy for the firm. Commenting on this development, Martin Turnbull, noted PR business analyst and professor at the Kepler School of Management, quickly pointed out that the animal health and nutrition industry generates some $15.2 billion in global sales annually.

Turnbull said: "Having announced the Gay Practice in November '04 and the Baby Boomer Group in November of this year, I've personally seen a hell of a lot of well-to-do single baby boomers out walkin' their poofy pedigrees in the morning. They certainly look gay. I think this is a pretty savvy move on Senay's part."

COMMENTARY

Woof woof!