Mike S. Adams’ death ruled a suicide
Photo of Mike S. Adams on UNCW’s sociology and criminology page as of 2020.
July 27, 2020
Former UNC Wilmington professor Mike S. Adams’ sudden July 23 death has been ruled as a suicide, according to the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office in a press release this afternoon.
Police were called to conduct a welfare check on Adams on July 23, after an acquaintance reported that they had not heard from Adams after he allegedly had been acting “erratic” and stressed for several weeks prior. Later that day authorities reported a deceased body was found in the house, confirming the identity as Adams later that evening.
Details of the 911 call and initial investigation were released the next day on July 24, indicating that Adams had suffered a gunshot wound and a handgun was taken as evidence but did not confirm the cause of death at the time.
Earlier this afternoon, county officials announced that Adams’ death was the result of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, saying in a news release:
“Detectives began their investigation in partnership with the medical examiner and it was ascertained that Mr. Adams committed suicide with a single gunshot wound to the head.”
The release continues to say that at the time of the incident there was no one else present in the residence and the sheriff’s office currently does not suspect foul play.
UNCW released a campus-wide message on July 23 from the Division of Academic Affairs concerning the initial reports of Adams’ death, saying:
“It is with sadness that we share the news that the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office is conducting a death investigation involving Dr. Mike Adams, professor of criminology. Please keep his friends and loved ones in your thoughts. Students may call the University Counseling Center (910-962-3746) for grief support; faculty and staff can seek support through the Employee Assistance Program.”
Adams, a former professor of sociology and criminology at UNCW, was set to start his retirement this Saturday, following controversy surrounding his numerous offensive and prejudiced remarks on his social media.
Kyuss • Oct 24, 2020 at 11:41 am
What a pathetic coward. ‘god’ deals harshly with suicides. this fool burns in HELL fire.
Thomas Wagner • Oct 22, 2020 at 12:33 am
Mike Adams was unashamedly racist, misogynist, and homophobic. Perhaps living a life so thoroughly governed by irrational hatred finally hollowed him out to such a degree that he realized he actually had nothing meaningful and positive to live for. In any event, it’s no great loss.
gary fouse • Jul 28, 2020 at 10:19 pm
These conservatives are taking tremendous abuse from radical leftists, both students and fellow faculty. They generally get little or no support from cowardly administrators who hide under their desks as leftist professors regularly discredit their institutions with absurd, often even violent rhetoric-all in the name of social justice. These conservative voices need our support against the Jacobins running amok on our campuses, some of whom are celebrating this death.
Candance McGee • Jul 28, 2020 at 9:00 pm
“Offensive and prejudiced remarks”. Well, offensive is in the eye of the reader. Prejudiced has a definition, and none of his remarks fall into that category. The man was a criminologist remember.
Stephen Shepherd • Jul 28, 2020 at 10:54 am
Mike never made an offensive or prejudiced remark in his life. He was brave enough to tell the truth to and about some very nasty people. A great defender of the American Constitution.
Sngbrd • Aug 14, 2023 at 2:52 am
I only saw a tiny little snippet of the Professor on YT which impressed me to want to know more about him. I was shocked to see that 1/ he was dead and 2/ his death was ruled as a suicide. As a Christian, he would have known that murder, even murder of the self, is against God’s commandments. It’s sad that he didn’t feel that he could have turned to Jesus to help him in his despair. None of us knows what drives another to do the things they do. Only God has the ability to read our hearts and Jesus will judge us on our heart condition when we’re brought before Him. It’s not our place to speculate on whether someone goes to hell or not. That is only in God’s purview, and we need to leave it in His capable hands.