When you group together thousands of people in sprawling open fields for music festivals, insanity is bound to ensue. As much as a festival can prepare for all instances of crowd control, unfortunate events still occur. From a naked man being found in a forest days after TomorrowWorld ended to a security guard getting trampled in a bum rush from a fence breach at Ultra with a fatal result, freak accidents continue to shock us all.
This past weekend, a possible homicide may have occurred at Backwoods Music Festival on Saturday, September 5th. Festival-goer Patrick Murphy was pronounced dead after being taken to nearby hospital and detained for “erratic behavior”, where he then allegedly stopped breathing. The 34-year old attended the Oklahoma festival with his 64-year old father, where he spent the last few days of his life.
Because the suspicious circumstances surrounding his death as well as a history with suspicious incidences occurring with security at Backwoods Music Festival, Patrick's death is being treated as a possible homicide by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation. In a previous year of the festival, a security guard attacked the tour manager of the band FYER with a knife, causing them to cancel their set. All investigations are still ongoing. It's a shame such serious incidences continue to occur in places where music fans come to gather in celebration of such positive things, music and life.
