Well, it certainly is hard to say I hope it isn't a hoax, that would mean it was real and sad indeed. Nighthawk, you have been on many times, this fellow only once-- before the post by himself, (3) total. You are part of the family, gone to fish-ins as have I and my wife. It might be a bit different for you or one of the other regulars. He made the offer. People jumped on it with in minutes. He never responded to any post or PM the week and a half before his supposed death. He never sent a single CD, and I would imagine that after he had gotten a few requests he would have begun sending them, not wait till...when? When all replies were in? I think not.
Someone on here googled the newspapers in the area. No obit or news of an electrocution. Why would someone do it? People are strange. I remember a guy who came on here professing not to know anything about old cane rods. Selling L's and P's for a hundred or two. Then when everyone started begging for a rod, he came on and said a antique dealer came by and bought the whole lot. I doubt there ever were any rods. Some people just to like to get people's hopes up, then dash them...sick jokers.
On a realistic site a couple of years ago, a guy took a picture off David Martin's site, then posted this photo of a realistic fly on another site claiming he created it, tied it and it was his picture...none of which were true...he just took the exact picture off one site and put it on the other. I saw it.
In this case he just wanted to hear the oohs and awwws of the other posters on the other site saying what a great tyer and what a great fly he had created.

Sure, no one is out money or anything,.. just made a fool of... His profile says nothing about being a college student, he is (was 40). (certainly could of gone back to school, but no mention of it) His profile seemed honest. He posted once in April, then not again until his July CD offer. Seems strange he would have 'many' emails or pms with danbob but not reply to a single post in reference to his CD over 8 to 10 days till his wife??? post. Sure it was the same guy?
It seems so odd to say I hope it is true, but something just doesn't seem straight up. His wife's words, look more like someone trying to write in the third person about himself...stilted...Just hard to believe the little reasons for the wife making the "tragic" post, like having to give an explanation for how she found the post...
Surely someon from that area of Texas could verify the facts. If true, indeed a tragedy. But it just seems strange somehow...