Mike Webb's landlord: pay up or get out

Duct-taped to the door is a plain white form: the kind rental agents buy on pads from office supply stores.

NOTICE TO PAY RENT OR QUIT PREMISES

It's the first step in the eviction of Mike Webb.

He needs to get current with his landlord- one Mr. Fang- by June 30 or vacate the house on Queen Anne Hill where he's lived for years. (It's the house, though worse for the wear, that's sheltered him through the death of his partner, his mom, and his old and loyal dog, Frances.

Webb is gone, and his belongings are still in the house- at least what's left of them. After Mike disappeared, the premises were trashed by transients and who knows else. His brother Wayne came up from California to see after the situation; after huddling with police, he and some of Mike's friends cleaned up the mess, mowed the lawn.

His beloved Lexus for some reason had been parked on the street instead of on his driveway and has been impounded by the cops.

Was he the victim of foul play? That's what everybody wants to know. Webb, as far as anyone knows- hasn't been involved with criminal types- no drugs, no gambling, etc.

Except for one sad and notable exception, he had a clean criminal record; he was an alcoholic who reportedly hadn't had a drink for many years.

Mike, who will be 52 years old on Sept. 4, had reasons to duck out of a life that was in shambles. Is this but a desperate ruse to allow him to escape the reality of the here and now?

The shambles of his here and now are not only the grubby environs of the paint-peeling house on Queen Anne Hill, but a bleak reality of bitter denial, and of professional and financial ruin supervised by a court of law.

It's easily seen as a damn good reason to escape.

After his conviction for insurance fraud in Feb. 2007, the court remanded him into Community Custody for a year in constant contact with a corrections officer; remain within the geographic boundary set by the Dep't of Corrections.

He was to remain in treatment for his mental health problems and take his meds.

He was to report to Judge Julie Spector's court on Aug 2, toreport on his 240 hours of community service to be performed in lieu of 30 days in county jail. (we have no indication yet if the service has been performed).

Mike presumably was broke. He'd declared bankruptcy; and hasn't worked since December, 2005. The possibility he could get another job in radio- something he's done since he was a kid in San Francisco in the early 1970's- is nil or less. His media business doing voice-over talent and audio recording services has been moribund for years.

The mess he brought down upon himself in the last two years came on the heels of some hard times and bad years. His long-time lover died of AIDS a couple years ago. His mother, to whom he was reportedly close died within this time frame; and more recently he lost Frances,his beloved dog, and last living link to his late lover.

Much of what he has described as a nightmare- the nearly two years since he was fired from KIRO- could have been avoided. Evidence against him was unambiguous and damning. The crime he committed was done so uncleverly that under a little scrutiny, it fell apart like a wet taco.

There was a time when he could have copped a plea- you can be sure his attorney must have urged him to do so. It was a silly white collar crime- albeit a felony- but he had no record. With a plea bargain- perhaps it could have been made into a misdemeanor and the whole thing might have been relegated to a story on page B6. He might have redeemed himself enough that hiscareer, and his dignity might have been spared.

But Mike denied everything, took everything to court- two courts even (one in a spectacular mistrial) and still denied his guilt even after his no-defense defense ended in a resounding and inevitable conviction.

He later explained his legal problems thus:

I hope to show in appeal that Terminally Angry Prosecutor Nancy Balin, who makes the wicked witch of the west seem like Mother Teresa, actually proved my fundamental point by bringing testimony by Geico Insurance of a false IP Address attached to the computer they claimed was associated with my insurance purchase. After that allegation back in 2005, I don't mind telling you my life has been a nightmare. I'd like to discuss what has happened since, from inadequate- albeit sincere representation, the prosecutor's office staging a huge dog and pony show outside the courtroom, destroying my case by falsely detaining me without cause- culminating in a mistrial that was consequently blamed on me by the judge. It was like an episode of the Twilight Zone. The lying. The distortions. The cast of characters presented to testify against me made the OJ trial look like a speeding ticket. The judge witnessed the police harassment, yet refused to recuse herself from the case, even though she dismissed the jury. There is so much more. I know there are many injustices that surpass what I experienced. We've discussed them, reported on them and tried to correct them many times during our broadcasts. But this is my one and only first-hand experience with the biased, bigoted, deceptive and cruel profile of the so-called justice system.

So is Mike Webb sitting somewhere watching all this having staged his own disappearance, a victim of mental illness, pathological denial, and self-destruction?

Or is it more sinister- have unknown persons with unknown motives done him harm?

His family is worried- sick worried. They don't really care about how he got here- they just want him back where he can get the professional help he needs and the kind from his loved ones.

Comments

[Fred]

Mike is a hero in a vast wasteland of talk radio show hosts.

We need hosts like Mike rather than the repetitive garbage and hate speech seeping from the big mouths Rush, Hannity, Monson and Shiers.

[seattlejew]

Amen,

It is also frightening to imagine that it is so possible for someone to disappear today (bin Laden aside).

Try to imagine this? How does he eat? where does he sleep?

[Duffman]

Once again...soooo sad; hope we get to the bottom of this. Thanks for the updates Bla'm. :)

[mrogi]

This is Webb's latest attempt at insurance fraud. He took out a life insurance policy naming a long lost identical twin brother as beneficiary. After 7 years Webb will be declared dead. That is when he will emerge from hiding posing as his own sibling demanding that Geico pay him a bundle.

[sparky]

weird...

It would seem that if he didnt have any money he wouldnt be able to get too far away. I wonder if his family has looked around in the SFO area..

[joanie]

Hmm. . . like Bush can't let go of Iraq, Mike couldn't let go of his Geico fantasy. Similarities there. Both dry drunks?

He might just have hit bottom and be drinking his way into oblivion. Thinking Nicholas Cage in that Las Vegas movie.

Who knows. Pretty sad in any case. At least Mike isn't hurting anyone but himself except for the feelings of his friends and family.

[LawyerMan]

If Mike is found dead by his own hand, the family should go after this blog and its owner for contributing to the man's demise.

[cowpotpi3]

And if you were a lawyer "man" you would know that suit would be worth about as much as your legal expertise.

[sarge]

That old guy in his basement typing away in his pajamas is mightier than the sword! Michael made Webb scam the insurance company, lie to police because he hates gays and KIRO, and is really a Republican. Yeah that's it. This is really all about Michael. Somebody ought to sue his ass off and take his coffee pot away.

[drool]

The only thing missing is the foil hat.

[mrogi]

I know how to get Mike Webb out of hiding. Offer him free drinks at any local bar on Queen Anne.

[teddy]

I worked with Mike and considered him a friend of mine. He was at one time a stand up guy. Extremely intelligent and passionate in his beliefs. He unfortunately burned a lot of bridges in radio and he really worried me at times. Now all of this. I have to fear the worst. I do not think he would leave the car he loved so much behind and all of his personal effects. He carried a gun for protection because there were so many threats on his life. I fear the worst---someone got to Mike.

[Brian]

It is sad to hear the evil in human beings.

Shame on this board for kicking a man when he's down.

Mike Webb was Seattle talk radio.

Because of this board we perhaps have a dead body and the verbal diarrhea of Dori Monson, Frank Shiers and a bunch of syndicated Nazis.

[darwin]

Mike- you are loved. We can understand why you might want to disappear, but please make yourself known to your family and your friends at least. they are worried sick.

[Sal Comida]

Where were all these great friends of yours when you needed them Mike? Call your family, fuck the rest of them.

[Rich]

"His long-time lover died of AIDS a couple years ago."

Hello? I think it was more like 15-20 years ago. Damn as you went down the list of hard times, you almost seem to be gloating.

[sparky]

"If Mike is found dead by his own hand, the family should go after this blog and its owner for contributing to the man's demise."

Why is the bad deed is not important, but reporting it is??? this is the typical response to all of the scandals in the news...its not that they broke the law, its that the media is reporting it thats bad.

The only ones on this blog who wish Mike bad luck are the trolls.

[Flub]

Why can't his brother or sister gather up his stuff & put it in storage? Or did they already do it?

[sparky]

good point...at least that way his stuff doesnt get stolen or vandalized. File footage of the inside of the house showed things tossed everywhere...

[mrogi]

Did you guys see Hood on TV? Jeezus Christ, what distinctive and interesting man! Makes me wish I was gay!
http://www.bradpittnow.com/images/brad_pitt_abs.jpg

[Duffman]

What a way to treat your host! Unbelievable!

[sparky]

the only "invention" Bla'M needs is a troll-zapper for this site

[cowpotpi3]

I bet he will start caring what dipshits like Mrogi think about the time they learn to spell "intervention." Why don't you go back to the shed you tool.

[mrogi]

You guys claim compassion for Mike Webb, yet it is my mother who was paid for many years for blowing goats. What hypocrisy!

[cowpotpi3]

Why did you edit your post if we are all such hypocrites for calling you out on your bs? What a moron.

[cowpotpi3]

Or was that BlaM...haha if so kudos.

[Duffman]

GREAT stuff Bla'am!!!

[Duffman]

he/she/it DESERVED that one!

[mrogi]

I like to kid Hood, but I've been in the radio business for 22 years, and this site is the best thing that's happened to Seattle radio this Jim French left KIRO.

[Duffman]

Love it!!! :)

[Duffman]

Lest you doubt who is 'really' in control. Too funny! :)

[An Historian]

If Webb did, indeed, end his own misery, I would like to think that this blog and my past words helped bring the stinging realities into his mind. I think more self absorbed, smug, Seattleites living in a bubble of rules and views of their own construct also need a dose of reality; if suicide is the result of confronting the real world I believe scientists would deem it survival of the fittest. Funny how leftists adhere to Darwinism except in cases of natural selection and inherent deficiencies where it offends them.

[sparky]

I think you give yourself too much credit

[OilWatcher]

Not to be ignored is the government's role in the disappearance of Mike Webb. He was a very well known outspoken critic of 9/11 as an inside job. And he's in good company. Polls show that only 14% of Americans believe the government's official story of 9/11.

In the land of free speech, it's amazing that every talk show host that ever tried to raise concerns about 9/11 has been silenced. It's unlikely Webb's disappearance is of his own accord. If he wanted to commit suicide, he would have certainly used his car. And if his body appears at some point in the future, it's almost certainly a murder, staged as a suicide.

[joanie]

You know, I agree about the car. It, afterall, brought about his undoing.

I think he's okay. I think he's on a drunk somewhere. Actually, that means he is probably suicidal . . . which is sad.

Aren't we all the experts here. :)

[bobbo]

"Not to be ignored is the government's role in the disappearance of Mike Webb."

Only in Seattle . . . *sigh*

Q: What do you call a pathetic drunk who breaks the law, punches photographers, and blames Bush for all his problems?

A: A typical liberal (with a very loud 'L')

[rosco]

Any news on Webb?

[A friend]

Seattle Gay News covered the story in last week's edition, but they were simply reporting what had already been reported here and in the P-I.

So to answer the question: No. There's no news.

Just hoping and waiting to hear that Mike's safe out there somewhere.

[CJ]

And now we hear that a dead decomposed body was found in his home. Is it Webb?

[Mactwinny]

Of course it is Mike. And the eejits on this board who hounded him need to take a good look at themselves.

[Tom Flint]

Goodbye Mike. I love you, dear spirit.

[john bocchetti]

Queen Anne. The "hill" seems ripe for the writer's heath. Full of boys and girls gone awry after years of getting away with murder.
As wives and girlfriends "switch lovers" like a locomotive on a turn table, lots of people get lost. Look like Webb crawled too close to some black widonw! I knew one who lived on warren ave.