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2nd in a series: Mike Graham's life ended in suicide the same violent way as his father and son before him: With a gunshot blast to the head.
DAYTONA BEACH -- The facts are clear: 61-year-old retired pro wrestler Mike Graham of Tampa Bay, whose real name was Edward Michel Gosssett, shot himself to death by aiming a revolver at his own forehead and pulling the trigger on Oct. 18, while visiting here in Daytona for Biketoberfest with his wife.
His wrestling-promoter father, Eddie Graham, killed himself the same violent way back in 1985. And Mike Graham's 37-year-old son also died the same violent way nearly two years ago, but not at the same event, despite what Graham's wife, Diane Marie Hamilton, told Daytona cops as describd in a police report, Headline Surfer has learned.
The son couldn't have killed himself at Biketonberfest -- the four-day rally that draws tens of thousands of bikers to greater Daytona Beach -- because it is held in October. The ex-wrestler's son, Steve Gossett, died Dec. 14, 2010, in Tampa.
The facts were confirmed by a family member who wrote to Headline Surfer by e-mail and asked not to be identified.
"I found him at his home in Tampa and he, too, took his life with a gun," the family member said of Mike Graham's son.
"I found him at his home in Tampa and he, too, took his life with a gun," the family member said of Mike Graham's son.
Where and when Mike Graham's son died is contrary to what his wife told Daytona Beach cops after she had walked outside of the beachside residence they were stayingh at and heard the gunshot. When she ran back inside, she found the retired wrestler dead on a bed, face up with a bullet wound to his forehead with his revolver immediately to his left on a pillow.
According to the report, "(Hamilton) stated (Graham) had threatened to commit suicide frequently ever since (his) committed suicide 2 year's prior during Biketoberfest."
The family member who reached out to Headline Surfer said Graham "obviously had a difficult time after Steven's passing but was doing really well these last several months."
The blood relative added, Graham's death "comes as a shock to me because we were emailing back and forth the day before he went to Daytona. "He was in a motorcycle accident coming back from Biketoberfest 2 years ago and he promised me he would be more careful this time. That's the last communication I had with him..."
The blood relative added, Graham's death "comes as a shock to me because we were emailing back and forth the day before he went to Daytona. "He was in a motorcycle accident coming back from Biketoberfest 2 years ago and he promised me he would be more careful this time. That's the last communication I had with him..."
The family member said Graham, 61, and his wife, 11 years younger, were married for eight years. Graham's widow could not be reached for comment.
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Editor's Note: Frederick. who specializes in legal affairs investigative reporting, also is a fan of professional wrestling and has followed it from the age of 5. He's interviewed the likes of Chris Jericho, Goldberg, Kevin Nash, George "the Animal" Steele, Diamond Dallas Page and many others. He's working on a book, "Wrestling Rewind," that will be published early next year.