OS - CIA OFFICER FOUND DEAD, VIAL NEARBY

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 06619247
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: March 9, 2023
• Document Release Date: February 6, 2020
• Case Number: F-2013-01784

OA Man Found
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In 32d Street11ome
Note Implies Suicide
Adminiitrathi.e.,Post
Paid .Him Over .$10,000
A Year PcTliCe Cautious
. . �. . .
An administrative , official of
the super-secret Central Intel-
ligence Agency was found dead I
today in, his fashionable George.-
town home-. -
-The body of James S.'Kron-
thal, 41, of 1662 Thirty-second
street N.W. was found about
10:30 am., but it was nearly 1
p.m. before . homicide� police,
exercising � unusual , caution,
would give out details.
Lt: Lawrence 'Hartnett of the
homicide squad said Mr. Kron--
thal's body was stretched fully
clothed. except for a coat on a
bed in the larger of two second-
floor bedrooms. .7 � I
Note Implies. Suicide.
On a bed stand pollee found
an empty clear-glass vial and
a page-long, handwritten note
"indicating likely suicide," Lt..
Hartnett said. He. refused to
divulge the note's contents a
standard police practice.
A spokesman for the CIA said
only that Mr. Kronthal was em-
ployed in an "administrative
capacity." He =refused to say
whether it involVed the handling
of matter 'involving' the -national ,
security. His salary was More
than $10,000 a year.
-Coroner A. Magruder,- Mac-
Donald went to the home to as--
sist in the investigation. He re-
fused to comment on the cause
of death pending an autopsy this
afternoon. - "
Found by- Other CIA Men.
. Two other-eniploy-es.-Of CIA,
Gould Cassel, 43, of. 3445 Thirty-
eighth . street and Mc-
Gregor Gray, 31, of .4501 Walsh
street, Chevy Chase;:Md:;discov-
ered the body after Mr: Kronthal
failed to report to his office. -
An -"hour earlier; a maid had
begun her work downstairs, una-
ware Mr. Krorithal.was dead.
One policeman said death ap-
parently occurred about 12 hours
before the-body was found. There
were mi....marks-of vioie
Agency.Works With Police.
The CIA was working closely
with thej.police in the, investi-
gation.- _-
Following: .close-,lipped prac-
tice, the CIA revealed little about
Mr. Kronthal. He had worked
at the agency "two or three
years." .
- � A native of Deal, N. J., he was
born August 21, 1912; He was
graduated from .Yale University
in 1934-and obtained a degree
from Harvard University in 1941.
Police said he had relatives
living, outside the city, but none
in this vicinity.
Approved for Release: 2020/01/03 C06619247
V05/7. /6" /./tcy-\
Certificate Waits
CIA-Officer
Found Dead,
Vial Nearby
I
An "important!' administrativeI,
officer in the hush-hush Central
Intelligence Agency was found
dead in his Georgetown home
yesterday, with an empty vial
;beside his body.
I Police said the circumstances
land a page-long letter to a friend
pointed to suicide. ,.
The body of James S. Kronthal,
40, of 1662 32d st. nw., was found
about 11 a.m. by two friends
from CIA. . �
Police said the maid, Mrs. La-
vinia Thomas, .of 2813 N st. nw.,
arrived as usual at 8:30 a.m. at
the attractive, white brick home
where Kronthal lived alone. She
found a brief note from Kron-
thal, asking her not to disturb
him because he wanted to sleep
late. She went about her work.
When Kronthal failed to report
to his office, CIA telephoned the
house and asked that he be
aroused. Police said Mrs Thomas
called out and got no answer,
� but hesitated to disturb her em-
I ployer because of the note.
Aecordincb to police, Gould Cap-
sal, of 344538th st. nw. and Mc-
Gregor Gray, of 4501 nw.,
Chevy Chase, came to investigate.
Police said they found Kronthal's
body, full-clothed except for a
coat, on a day bed in his second-
floor bedroom. An empty' vial
was on the floor. "
Homicide Lieut. - Lawrence
Hartnett said investigatori found
a hand-written letter- to .a male
friend indisitting Kronthal ;was
"mentally upset because of pres-
sure connected with work.".
An autopsy indicated Kronthal
died between -10 p.� m. and mid-
night Monday. Actual cause had
not been determined last night.
Dr. A. Magruder MacDonald,
District coroner, withheld a
death certificate pending chemi-
cal analysis. ,
Kronthal, believed to have
been unmarried, was ,former
assistant instructor it. Haivard
and a former Arm' captain. He
entered the State Department in
March, 1947, and served as an
attache in B 'terland.
Records show he left at depart-I
rifa ry ctice, 't.h e
:that joinedeaTctilietio9s5tofs2::.:whAa:-;p1Korkens-:
man said he sered in an "ad-
ministrative caracitY" and his
job was "iMpoytant."
' Krorithni
Approved for Release: 2020/01/03 C06619247
JAMES SRONTHAL.
Police Await Report
By Chemist in Dathi
Of Intelligence Mari
.The cause of the death of
James S. Kronthal, Central In-
telligence Agency administrative
officer, will remain' a mystery un-
til police receive a report on a
chemical analysis. -
Mr. Kronthal. 40. was found
, dead yesterday morning on an
upstairs bed in his Georgetown
home at 1662 Thirty-second
street N.W. . -
On the table near the bed was
1.a handwritten note which Lt.
Lawrence Hartnett said may
have explained the V.W wit+
words that Mr. Krontha
"mentally upset because of
sure connected with -work."
On the same. table was an
empty glass vial. Unable to de-
termine what had been in it,
Coroner' A. Magruder McDon-
ald ordered the chemical analy-
sis, which may not be completed
before next week. '
Following its practice, the CIA
revealed nothing of Mr. Kron-
thal's work there the last two
or three years except that he
was in an administrative ca-
pacity. His salary was more
than $10,000.