Kriti Mehrotra
As a docu-series that delves deep into the rise and fall of an eclectic free world movement, HBO’s ‘The Anarchists’ can only be described as equal parts gripping as well as confounding. That’s because it explores everything from the strange to the deadly events that affected the dreamers, fugitives, and crypto-enthusiasts trying to follow the ancap ideology in Acapulco, Mexico. Amongst them was US Army veteran Paul Propert — so now, if you wish to learn more about him, his past, his unpredictable behavior, and his sudden 2019 demise, we’ve got all the details for you.
Who Was Paul Propert?
Paul Emerson Propert II (born on September 6, 1982) seemingly led an ordinary life alongside his family in his home state of Pennsylvania, that is, until he decided to actively serve his nation. The Blue Ridge High School graduate thus enrolled in the military, only to soon find himself on tours in Iraq (2003-2004) as well as Afghanistan (2008), following which he was never the same. According to the six-part documentary, he had severe post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), causing him to come off as more than a little erratic owing to his violent tendencies and drug use.
Paul did earn an Information Sciences and Technology degree from Penn State University in 2012, but his growing need for liberation gradually pushed him towards the path of anarcho-capitalism. He hence decided to travel to a like-minded community in beautiful Acapulco in his “BattleBus” (a school bus turned into his living space), just to reach there in the middle of Anarchapulco 2017. The proud anarchist initially did manage to build friendships, yet his spiraling anger issues, substance misuse, and actions did cause many to distance themselves from him, per the HBO original.
John Galton (real name Shane Cress), his girlfriend Lily Forester (Miranda Webb), and Jason Henza were among those who tried to cut close ties with Paul, allegedly driving him to threaten them. He targeted John alone at first, but once a shooting inside the latter’s home resulted in him losing his life, Jason getting injured, and Lily blaming him, Paul went after the other two as well, according to the series. The situation between them was messy despite largely being social media-based since he was not in the best head space as he’d recently also lost a friend named Gino to city violence.
How Did Paul Propert Die?
Unfortunately, everything came to heed on Monday, July 1, 2019, in one of the most tragic ways imaginable — Paul Propert, also known as Shepherd Spook online, took his own life at the age of 36. It’s unclear precisely how he did so at the moment, yet we do know a memorial service for him was held at the Tuttle-Yeisley Funeral Home in Hallstead, Pennsylvania, on July 7. Paul is survived by both his parents as well as his brothers, along with several aunts, uncles, and cousins who maintain in his obituary that he was an artistic, fun-loving individual with a great sense of humor.
Read More: Where is Jason Henza Now?
