Joshua Dean was a 45-year-old man working for Spirit AeroSystems, a supplier for Boeing. For months, Dean has accused Boeing of ignoring some manufacturing errors on the 737 Max.
Dean went to the hospital last month after some respiratory difficulties, according to his aunt’s remarks to The Seattle Times, and he reportedly developed MRSA and pneumonia. He died Tuesday.
Another Boeing whistleblower, 62, had died just six weeks beforehand… during his deposition against Boeing.
One commentator described the two deaths as “the only conspiracy that matters right now.”
Skeptics have pointed out that no assassin would kill a 45-year-old man by giving him MRSA or pneumonia. Only about 30 percent of MRSA patients die within the year, and even fewer of them die within the month.
The previous whistleblower died from “what appears to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound,” the Charleston County coroner told Business Insider in a statement.
Lawyer Brian Knowles represented both whistleblowers, and he advised against speculating about the timing of the two deaths. Instead, he prefers to fix Boeing’s safety issues.
“Whistleblowers are needed. They bring to light wrongdoing and corruption in the interests of society. It takes a lot of courage to stand up,” Knowles told Seattle’s paper. “It’s a difficult set of circumstances.”
“Our thoughts are with Josh Dean’s family,” Joe Buccino, a Spirit spokesperson, told The Seattle Times Wednesday. “This sudden loss is stunning news here and for his loved ones.”
Dean began working at Spirit in 2019, and he became a quality auditor two years later.
He testified against Spirit last year in a shareholder lawsuit. In January, he claimed to have been fired for raising concerns about an issue involving holes in the fuselages.
“It is known at Spirit that if you make too much noise and cause too much trouble, you will be moved,” Dean told the Wall Street Journal. “It doesn’t mean you completely disregard stuff, but they don’t want you to find everything and write it up.”
Spirit AeroSystems has rejected Dean’s assertions about a politically motivated firing, and the company has vowed to defend itself against the shareholders’ lawsuit.
Boeing has come under fire since January’s accident. On an Alaska Airlines flight, a Boeing jet saw an unused door become unplugged. Afterward, 171 Boeing jets were grounded by the Federal Aviation Administration.