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Subscribe to RSSAn American television producer has been found dead in mysterious circumstances while working in Uganda, his brother-in-law told msnbc.com on Wednesday.
Paul Blackman said that family members had heard that poisoning was suspected in the death of father of two Jeff Rice, 39, who is originally from Oklahoma.
Blackman, who is the brother of Rice's wife Sally, added that the situation was unclear and relatives were trying to establish what exactly had happened
Rice, who previously worked for shows including "The Amazing Race" and Animal Planet's "Whale Wars," died on Friday night.
Rice's assistant, who Blackman declined to name, also became ill and was taken to a hospital in Uganda.
"We've sent people up there to get some answers," Blackman told msnbc.com by phone from Durban, South Africa. "Nothing is finalized yet.
Addressing media reports that Rice had been fatally poisoned, Blackman said: "I don't know where they are getting this 'definitely poisoned' thing."
Rice moved to South Africa about 13 years ago and holds dual citizenship, Blackman said. His wife is South African.
Rice's death was first reported by FoxNews.com.
'Really tough to handle'
Blackman said Wednesday morning that he was looking after their children, girls aged seven and two, while Sally Blackman tried to get information from the South African police.
He said his sister was finding the uncertainty "really tough to handle, but, yeah, she's strong."
"There's so much stuff in the air about possible poisoning, all that kind of stuff," Blackman said. "At the moment, we're trying to get Jeff's body out of there to get some answers."
Blackman said Rice had been "a historian, tour guide kind of person" in the United States and had started to work in television about three years ago. He and his wife ran SB Productions in Durban.
He added his brother-in-law was working on either a future show or documentary in Uganda.
"He was a fantastic producer apparently, a very, very sought-after producer," he said. "The messages (of condolence) coming in have been very, very good actually. It's been fantastic, he's a very well-liked character. He was a good guy, very relaxed and just a very good guy."
The "about us" section of SB Productions' website says Rice decided there were "better ways to spend his time" after five years "contributing to the stalemate of the 405 in LA."
"From pie in the sky to looking no futher than his nose, his mind is always churning. If Jeff isn't crunching budgets or breaking down scripts, he can probably be found in some unusual African location with his Power Book and a bottle of the local brew. Jeff has an incredibly calm nature and a wicked sense of humor," it adds.
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they tried to extort money fro him and when he refused, they killed him.
it would have been that or he would be in prison on false charges.
thats the norm there...
You'd think that an Amazing Race producer would have known which locals to pay off and which to ignore.
and you know this, how?
Fusseltier, you and the eight lemmings that agreed with your unfounded stupidity must feel silly now that it has been determined that bad cocaine is what killed this guy, not extortionists.
Beautiful place but... Was the home and land of Idi Amin.
Anger me and I will kill you!
( Anger me and I will eat you!!! )
Sad, but the same murderous mentality still exists there even today. R.I.P. Jeff
Why do AMERICANS find it so difficult to stay out of these dangerous countries? There must be some kind of "adventurous" gene running amok. I've been reading the news for less than 30 Min's and this is the 3rd AMERICAN that's either dead or dieing because they could not stay out of one of the worlds rattlesnake pits.
Hurry up and get your tickets to Syria, Uganda, Iran, North Korea, Yemen, Somalia... Never mind, the list is too long.
I just heard on HLN while I was typing this that a woman in El Paso, Tx was hit by a stray bullet from a shoot out just over the Mexican border. Cancel those tickets! You can now stay home and get injured/killed by violence in another country.
Uh, his wife is South African. This wasn't a tourist on vacation. He lived there for thirteen years and had dual citizenship. It was his home.
this... peace
Un, GuiltKitty, South Africa is NOT Uganda and he did not live in Uganda.
Maybe some good will come out of this... Like the end of these stupid 'reality' shows?
Without that adventurous spirit, there would be no America.
True, but what exists today did not exist in Columbus's time.
In Columbus' time slavery was widespread. You've also heard of that little thing called The Inquisition? Wars were quite common. Raping, pillaging, and burning were the norm in many parts of the world. You are right, what exists today: Democratic process, Worldwide charities,and Peace keeping missions didn't exist then.
@ Stone Mason - You are correct. There wasn't nearly as much of that sort of politically correct nonsense back in Columbus' day. Back then capitalism reigned supreme, and there weren't a bunch of wussies running around complaining about "the housing crisis" or the "lack of affirmative action" or whatever the "cause of the month" is for the liberals nowadays ...
andrew10 - if it was not for the liberal wussies, there would have been no public education, and you would be illiterate. You are the unnecessary side effect!
Great reply Pat! "You are the unnecessary side effect!" Gotta remember that one!
Typical of many ignorant folks I have met in the US, they think Africa is one country. Uganda is not S.Africa.
Okeeboy, are you saying you have not heard of any American die in the US today? Listen to your local news please, get real! What evidence do you have that this man was killed? All we know at this point is that he had cocaine in his system. That is illegal in Uganda too. Let the police do its work first.
Uganda-Lady, I'm not a typical American. My husband is South African. I know Uganda is not SA. Now, given that SA is not even a safe place to live (I can't tell you how many of my husbands' friends have been attacked or robbed), I'm betting Uganda may be worse.
He may have had cocaine in his system, but if he wasn't a cocaine user (and there would be signs), the only other explanation would be that someone either snuck it into his food or he was forced to take it (maybe at gunpoint). Its unlikely we'll ever know the truth, as I'm sure it will be covered up.
Uganda Lady - I could never imagine anyone willingly wanting to go to your country. I am very sorry for the loss of this man. I for one, as a gay man would never visit your country. I would be targeted and killed since your government has introduced Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Bill, popularly dubbed the Kill-the-Gays bill, is back before the Ugandan Parliament. It could be brought for a vote in the Lower House at any moment. Welcoming with open arms everyone in the world your country does not, dear lady. It does not even welcome everyone in its own country.
Stueystu,
You might be interested in who was behind the bill in Uganda, but you may already know.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/04/world/africa/04uganda.html
http://videocafe.crooksandliars.com/heather/rachel-maddow-show-us-ties-ugandan-anti
Who cares?
somebody must care.
Good, maybe more "reality TV" producers could end up the same way.
Domewars,
If it was your father,brother,uncle....you would!
Uganda.
he watched his own shows and died of boredom.
Uganda exists under "mysterious circumstances". Why would anyone go there?
bad mojo!
Can more of the so-called "reality show" producers please visit Uganda.
where was 'snap, krackle, and pop' when you need them.
Condolences to his wife and children - he sounds like someone I would have loved to have a beer with. May he rest in peace and may his family find comfort.
His brother in law sounds like a git. Everything is very, very great.
The guy sounded like a jerk, tooting his own horn.
thats why you dont go to uganda
Those of you who fear Uganda, please take a look at this web site. My family and I have been involved with this great group from the get-go. Uganda isn't what you think of it. Would you base your views on the US by the many accounts of violence throughout the country each and every day?
This place is on the brink of mass extermination and crimes against humanity. Who in their right @!$%#ing mind would look at Uganda as a hot vacation destination?
A mineless idiot. People from these third world countries are dying to come to America because of the conditions that exist. But these so called educated Americas that don't have the sense of a pi-- ant want to go there. Play the game take the chances. Nine times out of ten you are going to lose.
Africa, otherwise known as the biggest $hit hole in the world with Mexico as a close second.
The more money you have the shorter your life expectancy will be.
Africa is a beautiful country. There are some breathtaking places in Africa that you can't find anywhere in the world. Some parts of Africa are dangerous but it is a beautiful land.
Sorry to sound unsympathetic, but it's a fate that should befall ALL reality TV producers. There's not an honest one in the bunch.
Sorry? Really? More like "Sorry if I'm a jerk"....
Do you actually KNOW any of the people you just wished would die? I do. And I find your comment repulsive. I'm not a huge fan of reality tv, but people work in all types of jobs that don't benefit you, junganimus, in particular. There's a demand. It's met. People WORK. I tend to think that EVERYONE who generalizes so egregiously, should take a swift trip to Uganda themselves.
Maybe its a bit harsh to wish all reality tv producers would die under mysterious circumstances in Uganda, but I understand the sentiment. I wish I could tell my cable company to just block ALL reality tv shows from my tv. I can't stand them - they are a complete and total waste of time and airwaves. There's nothing 'real' about any of them; every one of them are staged.
You know, I'm very sorry this man died but what I want to know is why this is headline news? Most Americans have never heard of this person and while he may have been associated with a TV show we all know and love, I don't think that makes him a household name.. Please, MSN, could you stick to reporting news about people and things we KNOW about and not about people we've never even heard of? After all, when my father passed away you never said a word about that.....
I don't know if you know this or not but most people don't know murder victims. No one knew Natalie Holloway yet she has been in the news because she was a murder victim. This is in the news because he was murdered and last time I checked THAT was news.
Couldn't disagree with you more, Pamcake.. People are murdered every single day in this country and their names seldom are put on the front page, sad to say.. So no, I don't think this particular murder deserved the front page just because this guy was affiliated with a well-known TV program.. Got it?
He was in a place where you usually don't find Americans, with strong, current, relevant ties to the entertainment industry. His name appeared on television screens on a regular basis. That's why it's news. Just because he wasn't a household name doesn't mean that he wasn't well-known.
Interesting that some have such intense feelings about their personal criteria for news-worthy deaths that they invest time in not only reading about those that don't fit it, but elect to share their displeasure by drafting and posting comments. And then return hours later to spend more time on the murder that doesn't fit their criteria for being written about in the first place. You'd think they'd have better things to do with their time - like reading about things that do fit their news-worthiness criteria. Geesh.
I was thinking the same thing, nikkinala. You just said it better than I would have.
nikkinala -
Good post. For Susie, no, I don't get you. If it wasn't important why did you even take the time to comment?
Maybe not here, but what you describe still exists in many parts of the world. Have you vacationed in Syria recently?
Wow, what a bunch of heartless comments. My condolences to his family and may he rest in peace.
Exactly my feelings. Heartless. This was a real person, with a young family. With FRIENDS! I get disheartened often reading the comments the "regulars" leave here. But the venom here has been particularly disgusting.
Rice planted in Uganda! Film at 11!
Too bad the show couldn't have died instead. And took the rest of reality television with it.
Paul Blackman you surely havent been to Uganda the only thug in that hotel was the one who died of a cocaine overdose we arent going to lose any sleep!
On point my fellow ugandan...
If there's proof he was a habitual user, then the mystery is solved. If he wasn't a user, and was forced to take coke, then that's murder.