27 Facts About Gary Webb

Gary Stephen Webb was an American investigative journalist.

Gary Webb began his career working for newspapers in Kentucky and Ohio, winning numerous awards, and building a reputation for investigative writing.

Gary Webb is best known for his "Dark Alliance" series, which appeared in The Mercury News in 1996.

Gary Webb wrote that the series likely "oversimplified" the crack epidemic in America and the supposed "critical role" the dealers written about in the series played in it.

Gary Webb became an investigator for the California State Legislature, published a book based on the "Dark Alliance" series in 1998, and did freelance investigative reporting.

Gary Webb's father was a Marine sergeant, and the family moved frequently, as his career took him to new assignments.

When Gary Webb's father retired from the Marines, the family settled in a suburb of Indianapolis, where Gary Webb and his brother attended high school.

Gary Webb first began writing for the student newspaper at his college in Indianapolis.

In 1979, Gary Webb married Susan Bell; the couple went on to have three children.

In 1983, Gary Webb moved to the Cleveland Plain Dealer, where he continued doing investigative work.

Gary Webb then moved to the paper's statehouse bureau, where he covered statewide issues and won numerous regional journalism awards.

In 1986, Webb wrote an article saying that the Chief Justice of the Ohio Supreme Court, Frank D Celebrezze accepted contributions from groups with organized crime connections.

In 1988, Gary Webb was recruited by the San Jose Mercury News, which was looking for an investigative reporter.

Gary Webb was assigned to its Sacramento bureau, where he was allowed to choose most of his own stories.

Gary Webb defended the series in interviews with all three papers.

Ceppos noted that Gary Webb did not agree with these conclusions.

Gary Webb disagreed with Ceppos's column and, in interviews, was critical of the paper's handling of the story.

Gary Webb eventually chose Cupertino, but was unhappy with the routine stories he was reporting there and the long commute.

In interviews after leaving The Mercury News, Gary Webb described the 1997 controversy as media manipulation.

Gary Webb's assignments included investigating racial profiling by the California Highway Patrol and charges that the Oracle Corporation had received a no-bid contract award of $95 million in 2001.

Gary Webb later moved to the State Assembly's Office of Majority Services.

Gary Webb was laid off in February 2004 when Assembly Member Fabian Nunez was elected Speaker.

Gary Webb was found dead in his Carmichael home on December 10,2004, with two gunshot wounds to the head.

Gary Webb's death was ruled a suicide by the Sacramento County coroner's office.

Gary Webb had sold his house the week before his death because he was unable to afford the mortgage.

Gary Webb's documentation is awesome and his work ethic is unbelievable.

Nick Schou, a journalist who wrote a 2006 biography of Gary Webb, has claimed that this was the most important error in the series.