CIA Agent Confesses to Murdering Bob Marley on Deathbed-Fiction!
Summary of eRumor:
A former CIA said in a deathbed confession that he killed Bob Marley by infecting him with cancer.
The Truth:
A website known for passing off fabricated reports for factual news is behind false reports that a CIA agent confessed to murdering Bob Marley.
Your News Wire published the false report in question on November 30, 2017. It appears under the headline, “CIA Agent Confesses On Deathbed: ‘I Killed Bob Marley.’” Within days, it had been shared nearly 100,000 times on social media.
A 79-year-old CIA agent identified as Bill Oxley is the only source. On his deathbed in Maine, Oxley supposedly confessed to a carrying out a number of assassinations for the CIA. Bob Marley’s topped the list.
The story goes that Oxley, posing as a New York Times photographer, gave Marley a gift — a pair of Converse All Stars. And one of the shoes “was tainted with cancer viruses and bacteria.” Marley supposedly cried out when he was pricked by something in the shoe, infecting himself with cancer.
Problems Abound With CIA Agent Confessing to Bob Marley’s Murder
Your News Wire doesn’t identify as “fake news” or “political satire.” But the website’s disclaimer states that its content “may include inaccuracies or typographical errors.” That creates wiggle room to publish fabricated or misleading reports. In other words, Your News Wire is not credible.
So, it’s no surprise that this story’s facts don’t check out. Bob Marley died of melanoma in 1981. This type of melanoma is not transmitted by “cancer viruses and bacteria,” as the rumor claims. While it’s true that transmittable viruses like HPV, Epstein-Burr virus and Hepatitis can lead to elevated risks for certain types of cancers, Bob Marley’s case doesn’t align with any of them.
The type of melanoma that Bob Marley had — which develops on areas of the body where there’s hairless skin (like the soles of feet) — is unique. And it’s almost always caused by genetic factors, the Skin Cancer Foundation reports:
While most melanomas are caused by exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun or from tanning machines, this type, which develops on hairless skin such as under nails, on the soles of the feet or palms of the hands, is more likely caused by genetic factors. While this form is rare, it is the most common form of melanoma in people of color.
Based on the lack of credibility of Your News Wire, and the unlikeness of that account from a medical standpoint, we’re calling this one “fiction.”