Of the millions that watched the highly-publicized trial of Robert Dwyer, not one could forget the shocking conclusion to this bizarre case. Robert "Budd" Dwyer was the Treasurer of Pennsylvania from 1981 onwards, and he had been accused of receiving bribes for a multimillion-dollar contract - a crime he would hotly deny. That is, right until the unthinkable happened on live television.
He had been convicted of the charges, and on January 23 was due to be sentenced. On January 22, though, he called a press conference to which dozens of reporters came to hear his version of events. Only they were not there to witness a confession. As they watched, Dwyer pulled a .357 magnum revolver out of an envelope and shot himself in the head.