The Hearse Is Here For You, and Other Intimidation Tactics

The IRA might send a bullet in the mail to intimidate, but that's nothing compared to the very public intimidation tactics employed by a disgruntled former lover.

John Holliman had an affair with a married man who happened to be quite rich and successful, and who did not wish to come out of the closet. Blinded by love, or lust, said executive believed that Mr. Holliman cared enough for him to keep their little secret a secret. Chance are, he also showered his paramour with nice little gifts to express his appreciation for their hidden romance.

As it turns out, Mr. Holliman was not exactly the most mentally stable of people, and was therefore not the best choice for secret-keeping. The man who had been arrested for impersonating a police officer and a doctor in Ohio found it easy pickings to extort tens of thousands of dollars from the executive. It isn't much, but it's a small living.

How do you make someone pay you when it would be easy enough for the executive to deny your accusations? Mr. Holliman was just a gigolo, after all, and someone with mental issues isn't the most credible of witnesses.

Your ride is here

A bullet in the mail? No, not something that subtle. Instead, Mr. Holliman sent a hearse to his lover's home, on more than one occasion. When payment was not forthcoming, the hearse arrived with instructions to pick up Mr. Lover, or Mrs. Lover if there was a need to escalate the tension.

An ambulance arrived once, called to the scene by Mr. Holliman, who used the emergency service as a sort of calling card or reminder that a bill was coming due and he expected payment in full. There would be no forgetting him, no getting rid of him. The demands went on and the executive paid, stuck in an endless loop.

Maybe it was the bomb scare that Mr. Holliman called in to the executive's place of work, a threat that resulted in several floor of the office being evacuated. At some point, the executive realized he couldn't go on living in fear, and so he called for help.

Mr. Holliman was arrested when he accepted one of his bribes. Charged with felony theft and felony stalking, he sits in jail awaiting trial.

The executive is sitting elsewhere, dealing with the fall-out of his hidden homosexuality and the wife he cheated on.

He may soon be sitting in court himself, but in the civil division, watching his assets get divvied up in a divorce trial. Or he might be signing a contract with her, in which he pays her a large sum to not leave him and keep his little secret.

It's that old tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive. Honesty is always the best policy, even if it means an equitable divorce settlement and an exit from the closet. He's out now, isn't he? If he'd come out sooner, he'd be $90,000 ahead.