Riad Hamad was an outspoken advocate for the rights of the Palestinian people, and the founder of the Palestinian Children's Welfare Fund. He spent his own money from his salary as a teacher to send shipments of school supplies and medicine to children in Palestinian refugee camps. Despite the fact that Hamad's body was found bound and gagged, police have declared his death a suicide. James Mason is with the Austin Police Department. Less than a month before his death, Hamad emailed friends saying that the FBI had raided his home and taken more than fifty boxes. He also reported receiving death threats by phone around the same time.