EDITOR SUICIDE?

Rich Ramirez, an editor and writer for the San Jose Mercury News, was found dead in his backyard, stabbed in the midsection. That was Wednesday.

On Friday, police said the death appeared to be a suicide. The Mercury News reports:

A coroner's spokesman said the death was considered a "possible suicide," adding that self-inflicted knife wounds are uncommon but not unheard-of as a cause of death.

Livermore police said Thursday that they are investigating the death as "suspicious." Lt. Scott Trudeau would not release details but said there was "nothing to indicate" that anyone besides Ramirez "was involved."

The exact reasons why he would have taken his own life were unclear. He had been worried about the newspaper's plans to eliminate about 40 newsroom jobs.