Russell's sister referred to Schram as her brother's business partner (or something similar) on NG last night and commented on how this was one of the main reasons she didn't believe it was suicide. I don't believe his sister would make concrete statements about the relationship between the 2 men or considered Schram's death to be relevant if they in fact had no relationship with each other. She said that she had held off on making any public comments regarding the circumstances of his death until after the funeral, but she had believed from the beginning there was a strong possibility it wasn't suicide. She based this opinion on her personal knowledge of his life at the time of his death and the condition of his body. Obviously, now we all can read the autopsy report and see that he had injuries that weren't consistent with a suicide, but I'm assuming she has known since the beginning that those things were present.
I understand family members not wanting to believe their loved one killed themselves and actually expect that reaction, especially when they are confronted/interviewed publicly about the subject, but she didn't say - "oh, he was depressed and had $ troubles, but he would never have done this" as we see in many cases where families are in denial over the act. She actually gave factual reasons why she didn't believe it was suicide - the injuries on the body that aren't consistent with suicide and the partner's death/suicide on the same street and within hours of Russell's death/suicide. It very well may turn out that these 2 events are nothing more than one very odd coincidence, but at the very least it makes me think there should be an investigation into both deaths as possibly being related before each case is closed as a suicide.
You are right, his sister did say that. However, I myself take anything Russell's family says with some caution. (In fact, I am cautious about everything that everyone says about this case!) I doubt that his sister knows for a fact, from personal knowledge who Russell's friends, business associates, and acquaintances are. She might have known some of them when she was being treated for her drug addiction at that Malibu recovery center, but I believe she is getting all her current information through Ronald Richards, Russell's former attorney, who they have now supposedly hired, and maybe through a private eye that the family has supposedly hired. Plus, whatever TMZ passes on to the family.
We know the two men, Armstrong and Schram both belonged to Tiger21, the exclusive club for guys who like to impress each other with how rich they are. And, in a recent article, even Taylor is said to have said that they did know each other through that club and did become friends. So, thats about all I can safely assume. Don't know the exact nature of nor how close their friendship was.
The other thing is, is that we do not know exactly where Schram committed suicide. All I could ever find was that it was done OUTSIDE HIS (Schram's) CAR on Mulholland Drive. Do you know how long Mulholland Drive is? Its very very long. So, I am unclear on how the reports have somehow morphed into Schram's suicide happening right outside the home Russell was staying in.
The other thing that struck me, and I think it was Nancy's show yesterday, but it might have been Jane's, where the mother, Russell's mother, claimed that $90,000 had been charged to Russell's credit card in June, in her passive aggressive way, stated outright that Taylor was responsible for that charge. Beyond that, one would have to use their imagination to 'get' what it is the mother was inferring. I just don't know and am unwilling to guess.
I personally don't care, one way or the other if they want the whole thing investigated as some nefarious murder. It will certainly add to the movie script. I don't see that Russell's suicide is a murder. But, that's just me. I am willing to listen to what people have to say.
I am interested in how Schram might or might not fit into the whole thing. I never saw an obit for him, or anything about a family, or anything except that he lied about a degree from UCLA. So, he is a mystery to me.
