The body of Trump shooter Thomas Matthew Crooks is missing, a congressman has revealed, as federal authorities returned the remains to the family in what he called a “scorched earth” investigation.
Rep. Clay Higgins, a Louisiana Republican who was appointed to the bipartisan task force reviewing the assassination attempt, attempted to view Crooks’ body on Aug. 5 as part of his own personal inspection.
Higgins said his desire to do so “caused a great stir and was disturbing.”
It was at that point that he learned that the FBI had “released the body for cremation 10 days” after the assassination attempt.
“Why then, and under what circumstances, would the FBI release the body to the family for cremation?” Higgins asked.
The body of Thomas Matthew Crooks, the 20-year-old who attempted to assassinate former President Trump, was returned to his family for cremation just ten days after the shooting.
The FBI released Crooks’ body just ten days after his attempted assassination of former President Trump
Crooks, 20, opened fire at a Trump rally on July 13, piercing former President Trump’s ear, killing one rally-goer and wounding two others.
A glaring lack of a social media presence and digital footprint for the shooter left authorities without a motive, which Higgins had been trying to determine.
By July 23, ten days after the shooting, “Crooks was gone,” the congressman wrote.
The Louisiana congressman accused the FBI of “obstruction” and said “we’ll never really know” if the autopsy report is accurate.
Higgins said the Butler County coroner had “legal authority” over the body.
However, after speaking with the coroner, Higgins determined that he “would never have released Crooks’ body to the family for cremation or burial without specific permission from the FBI.”
Rep. Clay Higgins, a Louisiana Republican who was appointed to the bipartisan task force reviewing the assassination attempt, attempted to view Crooks’ body on Aug. 5 as part of his own personal investigation.
In his report, the legitimacy of which is unclear, the Republican congressman maintains that both the forensic report and the autopsy “arrived late.”
“As of Monday, August 5, they were already a week behind,” he wrote.
He continued: “The problem with not being able to examine the actual body is that I won’t know 100% whether the coroner’s report and the autopsy report are accurate. We’ll never really know.”
‘We will receive the reports and photographs, etc., but I can never say for certain whether those reports and photographs are accurate based on my own examination of the body.’
Before being elected to the House in 2016, Higgins worked as a police officer in Louisiana.
In November 2023, he suggested that the violence at the Capitol on January 6 was caused by agents who were brought in by the FBI on “ghost buses.”
By July 23, “Crooks was gone,” Higgins wrote. “No one knew until Monday, August 5th, including the county coroner, law enforcement, sheriff, etc.”
Higgins has also attended and spoken at events organized by groups such as the Three Percenters and Oath Keepers.
On July 29, 2024, the Louisiana congressman was named as one of seven Republican members of a bipartisan group charged with investigating the attempted assassination of Trump.
The task force is made up of 13 members, seven Republicans and six Democrats. Its mission is to determine what went wrong on the day of the assassination attempt and make recommendations to prevent future security failures.
The working group will issue a final report by December 13.
In his own personal report, which was not related to the task force, Higgins spoke critically of the FBI.
On July 29, 2024, the Louisiana congressman was named as one of seven Republican members of a bipartisan group charged with investigating the attempted assassination of Trump.
The task force is made up of 13 members, seven Republicans and six Democrats. Its mission is to determine what went wrong on the day of the assassination attempt and make recommendations to prevent future security failures.
“Once again, akin to clearing a crime scene and erasing biological evidence from the crime scene… this action by the FBI can only be described by any reasonable man as an obstruction to any further investigative efforts,” he wrote.
Higgins said that on July 23, the day Crooks was cremated, “the Homeland Security Committee and the Oversight Committee had initiated the House Committee’s jurisdictional investigation into (the assassination attempt).”
“President Johnson had already stated that he was forming an official Congressional investigative body. Why, then, under what circumstances would the FBI release his body to the family for cremation?”
The Louisiana congressman added: “This pattern of sweeping investigation by the FBI is quite disturbing.”
Higgins has characterized his own research as an “on-the-ground” approach.
Higgins has attended and spoken at events organized by groups such as the Three Percenters and Oath Keepers.
On August 12, he presented his findings to task force chairman Mike Kelly (R-PA).
However, the report was embargoed for several days.
“As I have said, every question will be answered, every theory explored and every doubt removed. The American people deserve to know the whole truth about the attempted assassination of President Trump,” Higgins said.
“Our investigations are proceeding in good faith. The release of my preliminary investigative report reflects my desire to provide transparency and reassurance to the American people.”