Although we at Power Tax Relief are fully committed in our role as advocates for taxpayers, we wholeheartedly regret the tragic incident that occurred on February 18, 2010, which resulted in the death of Vernon Hunter. Mr. Hunter was 67 years old, a father of six and a two-tour veteran of the Vietnam War. Vernon Hunter was also an Internal Revenue Officer employed in the Echelon Office Complex in Austin, Texas. He was planning on retiring from his position at the IRS this year to start a new career helping children with learning disabilities.

We have great respect for Mr. Hunter’s role with the IRS. His job may often have placed him at odds with those he served. But Vernon Hunter was also a man with human decency and a compassionate heart. He was deeply devoted to his country, his family and his fellow human beings, and represented all of the above with honor and aplomb. Power Tax Relief would like to confer upon all the family and friends of Vernon Hunter our deepest and most sincere condolences. We would also like to offer a nod of earnest approval to the Internal Revenue Service for their wisdom in placing men such as Vernon Hunter in posts of leadership.

Vernon Hunter leaves behind family and friends, all of whom are shocked and overwhelmed at their sudden and unexpected loss. Mr. Hunter’s long years of service and experience earned him a management position with the IRS. He didn’t just view his position as a collector for the government. He assumed the role of a problem solver. In the words of his son, Ken Hunter,

"My dad, in that building, he didn't write the tax laws, If [Stack] would have talked to my dad, my dad would have helped him."

Hunter was an individual capable of great compassion, a disposition reflected in the other members of his family. In a statement, Hunter's relatives, in a gesture of kindness and understanding, said their thoughts also are with Stack's family.

"We are not angry at them because they did not do this." Also, in a reference to Andrew Joseph Stack’s lengthy suicide note and personal manifesto, they said "We forgive Joe for his actions, which took Vern's 'pound of flesh' with him."

Andrew Stack was a troubled individual. Perhaps if he had found Vernon Hunter, he could have realized that the sometimes unpleasant burden of satisfying tax liabilities is something he could overcome. And, maybe even handle in a stress-free and harmonious manner.