FBI Blasted for releasing Thomas Matthew Crooks’ body for Cremation

Once again, the FBI finds itself at the center of controversy, this time over the questionable handling of a crime scene involving the attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump. Louisiana Rep. Clay Higgins, a staunch defender of the truth, has raised serious concerns about the Bureau’s actions following the July 13 shooting at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. According to Higgins, the FBI’s decision to release the body of the shooter, Thomas Matthew Crooks, to his family for cremation—just days after the incident—was nothing short of a blatant obstruction of justice.

Let’s break this down. Crooks, a 20-year-old gunman who managed to graze Trump’s ear with a bullet before being neutralized by law enforcement, was dead and buried—quite literally—before anyone even had a chance to fully investigate the crime. Higgins, who spent 20 hours personally examining the scene and piecing together the facts, discovered that the FBI had handed Crooks’ body over to his family on July 23, just 10 days after the shooting. By the time Higgins arrived on the scene on August 5, the body had already been cremated, effectively destroying any chance of further examination.

Think about that for a moment. We’re talking about a man who tried to assassinate a former president of the United States, and yet the FBI, the very agency tasked with protecting the nation, didn’t think it was important to preserve his body for a thorough investigation? Higgins was understandably outraged, calling the FBI’s actions “disturbing” and labeling them an “obstruction to any following investigative effort.”

And it doesn’t end there. According to Higgins, the FBI’s handling of the crime scene itself was equally suspicious. The agency released the area after just three days—three days! In what universe does a crime scene involving an attempted assassination get wrapped up that quickly? Higgins spoke to first responders who were shocked by the FBI’s haste, with some expressing outright suspicion over the early release of the scene.

Let’s be clear: the FBI knew that Congress would be investigating this incident. They knew that every detail, every shred of evidence, would be scrutinized. So why would they rush to close the book on this investigation before it even began? It’s almost as if they didn’t want anyone digging too deep, didn’t want anyone asking too many questions. But why?

Higgins’ investigation reveals that Crooks had positioned himself perfectly on a rooftop to minimize the threat of counter-fire, firing eight shots before being neutralized. But the question remains: what else could have been uncovered if the FBI hadn’t been so eager to clean up the scene—both literally and figuratively? Biological evidence, critical to understanding the full scope of what happened, was scrubbed away by the FBI, a move that is, as Higgins points out, “unheard of” in law enforcement.

The truth is, we may never know the full story of what happened that day, and that’s exactly what the FBI seems to want. By releasing Crooks’ body so quickly, by rushing to close the crime scene, they’ve effectively ensured that any investigation—whether by Congress or independent experts—will be hampered from the start.

This isn’t just about one man’s investigation; it’s about the integrity of our institutions. If the FBI can’t be trusted to handle something as serious as an attempted assassination of a former president, what else are they sweeping under the rug? Higgins’ findings should alarm every American who values truth and transparency. The question now is, will anyone hold the FBI accountable? Or will this too be buried, just like Thomas Matthew Crooks?