Jonathon Keith Idema was a character. For some of us, he was a nemesis, others an amusement and far fewer still considered him friend. Rare was the person in the tactical industry of the 80s and early 90s who didn’t have a brush with him.
Last year, I had read that he had barricaded himself in his home in Mexico, in a standoff with local law enforcement, his welcome long worn out in his homeland, America. Sounded like classic Keith, as he was known in the old days. After spending some time in federal prison for wire fraud, he reinvented himself as a professional adventurer and went by the monicker “Jack”. This time he ended up in an Afghan prison for running an illegal jail and torture.
He always seemed like the kind of guy who would pop up again somewhere else, with a new name and a new game. Admittedly, I was surprised to hear of his death at only 55 even though it was common knowledge he had AIDS. Only the good die young so I figured Idema would survive to a ripe old age, living off of the proceeds of hair brained schemes and frivolous lawsuits.
Here is a link to a pretty colorful obituary of Idema. Read it and then share your memories in the comments.
