TV gunman complained about his lack of sex and lamented how age had ended his 'glory days' as a $2,000-a-night prostitute in suicide letter

  • Vester Lee Flanagan II wrote a suicide letter to close friend Robert Avent
  • Avent received the letter in a package on Sunday - four days after Flanagan killed two former colleagues on live television 
  • In the letters, Flanagan talked about his side career as a male escort and wrote about his fear of aging
  • Avent also told the New York Daily News about his last phone call with Flanagan, just moments before the 41 year old committed suicide 
  • Just after killing WDBJ reporter Alison Parker, 24, and cameraman Adam Ward, 27, Flanagan sent Avent a text saying he did something 'very bad' 
  • Avent later called Flanagan who calming confessed to the on-air execution 
  • On Sunday, hundreds gathered for an interfaith memorial for Parker and Ward in Roanoke, Virginia  

Vester Lee Flanagan II (pictured) spoke about his fears about getting older and losing the interest of other men in a suicide letter to his close friend Robert Avent 

Vester Lee Flanagan II (pictured) spoke about his fears about getting older and losing the interest of other men in a suicide letter to his close friend Robert Avent 

The cold-blooded killer who gunned down two of his former colleagues on live TV last week was afraid of getting older and worried that his days as a $2,000-a-night male prostitute were over.

Vester Lee Flanagan II revealed his insecurities in a suicide letter and last phone call to close friend Robert Avent, of Vallejo, California.

Avent spoke with Flanagan just moments before the 41 year old committed suicide on Wednesday, while he was being chased by police.

Four days after the double murder-suicide, Avent received a package from Flanagan containing old photographs and letters which give insight into his mind in the lead-up to the on-air executions.

Avent shared the contents of the package with the New York Daily News, while also detailing his last phone call to the old friend.

Parker and Ward were interviewing Vicki Gardner, head of the Smith Mountain Lake chamber of commerce, at approximately 6.45am Wednesday morning when Flanagan approached the TV crew and opened fire.

Tens of thousands of people in Virginia were watching local station WDBJ's morning news when the shots rang out on live TV. 

Parker and Ward were pronounced dead at the scene while Gardner survived, after suffering a gunshot wound to her back. 

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Flanagan took to Twitter just hours after the attack on Wednesday, writing about his grudges against Parker (pictured) and Ward
Cameraman Ward (pictured)

Flanagan took to Twitter just hours after the attack on Wednesday,  writing about his grudges against Parker (left) and Ward (right)

In Twitter messages posted hours after the attack, Flanagan said that he carried out the on-air execution in response to perceived racial slights from his former colleagues. 

He then posted disturbing first-hand video of the attack, showing Parker trying and failing to escape his shots.

Shortly after fleeing the scene, Flanagan sent a text message to Avent, saying he did something 'very bad'.  

Avent, 45, saw the vague text message when he woke up for work later that morning and waited until he got to his office to call his friend back.

When he got Flanagan on the phone around 8.30am, he asked his friend what was wrong.

'He said, "Oh, I did something this morning." And he was talking normal, like nothing. Like he didn't do anything at all. Like a normal voice,' Avent recalled.

'And he said, "I shot and killed two people." Just like that, in a normal voice,' Avent said.

Flanagan then told his friend to check CNN and hung up. 

On Sunday, hundreds gathered at a interfaith memorial service for Alison Parker and Adam Ward at the Jefferson Center in Shaftman Performance Hall in Roanoke, Virginia. Above, Andy Parker, father of Alison, is hugged

On Sunday, hundreds gathered at a interfaith memorial service for Alison Parker and Adam Ward at the Jefferson Center in Shaftman Performance Hall in Roanoke, Virginia. Above, Andy Parker, father of Alison, is hugged

Jeff Marks, WDBJ 7 general manager, speaks during the Sunday memorial service

Jeff Marks, WDBJ 7 general manager, speaks during the Sunday memorial service

An Interfaith Service of Remembrance and Healing was held in the Shaftman Performance Hall at the Jefferson Center in Roanoke, Virginia on Sunday 

An Interfaith Service of Remembrance and Healing was held in the Shaftman Performance Hall at the Jefferson Center in Roanoke, Virginia on Sunday 

WDBJ7's Kimberly McBroom, center, and others with the station hug friends and co-workers following an interfaith prayer service on Sunday. McBroom was anchoring the morning news the day after her two coworkers were shot 

WDBJ7's Kimberly McBroom, center, and others with the station hug friends and co-workers following an interfaith prayer service on Sunday. McBroom was anchoring the morning news the day after her two coworkers were shot 

During the service, pictures of Parker and Ward were shown on a large screen above the stage 

During the service, pictures of Parker and Ward were shown on a large screen above the stage 

Dave Skole (left corner), with Christ Lutheran Church in Roanoke consoles Chris Hurst, boyfriend and colleague of Alison Parker at the Sunday memorial 

Dave Skole (left corner), with Christ Lutheran Church in Roanoke consoles Chris Hurst, boyfriend and colleague of Alison Parker at the Sunday memorial 

Jerold Franks of Roanoke and Bootie Bell Chewning, sign a large roll of paper with words and prayers for the families of Alison Parker and Adam Ward at the Sunday memorial 

Jerold Franks of Roanoke and Bootie Bell Chewning, sign a large roll of paper with words and prayers for the families of Alison Parker and Adam Ward at the Sunday memorial 

After watching the news, a shocked Avent called Flanagan back.

Flanagan said he was just riding in his car and said he was not going to go to jail. Avent then questioned why Flanagan was acting so calm.  

'Well, you know, I just feel, I didn't like those people,' Flanagan said. 

At this point, Flanagan said he could see police following him on the road. He told Avent he was going to shoot himself in the head before letting police take him to prison.

'He asked me if there was anything I wanted to say before he goes,' Avent said. 'He said, "Come on, spit it out! I don't have much time,"' he recalled.

Flanagan, pictured, called his friend Avent after the shooting
Flanagan, pictured, sent his friend Avent a package containing a suicide letter and old photographs

On Sunday, Avent received a package from Flanagan containing his suicide letter and old photographs

'I said, "Just don't do it,"' Avent said. 'He said, "I love you and thank you for being there for me."'

Flanagan then said he had to go and hung up. Avent tried calling his friend back but didn't get any response.

He didn't have anybody to talk to. He was home by himself. When you're home by yourself and you think a lot - he started thinking bad things
Robert Avent, friend of Vester Lee Flanagan 

Just moments later, police swarmed Flanagan's car where they found him suffering a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.

Avent says that he met Flanagan at a Greenville, North Carolina gym in 2002, and when he got a job opportunity in California in 2006, Flanagan offered to let him live in his four-bedroom house in Vallejo where he was living alone at the time. 

They lived together as roommates from 2006 until 2012, when Flanagan moved back across the country to work at WDBJ.

But after moving to Roanoke, Virginia, Avent says he noticed a dark change in his friend.

'He didn't have anybody to talk to. He was home by himself. When you're home by yourself and you think a lot - he started thinking bad things,' Avent told the Daily News.

Flanagan's dismal outlook on life is expressed in his suicide letter to Avent, which Avent received in a package on Sunday along with old photographs, driver's licenses and student IDs.

In the stream-of-consciousness letters, Flanagan appears depressed at the loss of his good looks with age.

'I do NOT wanna get old ... HELL NO!!!' Flanagan wrote. 'Please keep working out player...when the heads stop turning, it's AWFUL!!!'

Avent told the New York Daily News that his friend took a dark turn when he moved to Roanoke, Virginia, to work for WDBJ. Flanagan was fired from the station in 2013, after repeated confrontations with other employees

Avent told the New York Daily News that his friend took a dark turn when he moved to Roanoke, Virginia, to work for WDBJ. Flanagan was fired from the station in 2013, after repeated confrontations with other employees

On Wednesday, Flanagan shot dead former WDBJ colleagues Alison Parker, 24, (left), and Adam Ward, 27, (not pictured), while the two were filming a segment on live television. Above, a grab of the on-air execution 

On Wednesday, Flanagan shot dead former WDBJ colleagues Alison Parker, 24, (left), and Adam Ward, 27, (not pictured), while the two were filming a segment on live television. Above, a grab of the on-air execution 

Flanagan also talked about his time as a male escort, claiming he was once paid hundreds of dollars an hour to sleep with men. 

'I totally CANNOT score right now,' Flanagan wrote. 'And this is from a man who used to be paid hundreds an HOUR to sleep with men...one was a hot YOUNG guy in SF...he once asked, "Can I f*** you?" He offered to give me $1,000...I playfully said, "No." Well, he gave me 2k.'

Avent says he called police after his phone call with Flanagan on Wednesday, and informed them again when he received the package four days later.

While Avent himself didn't see the attack coming, he says Flanagan's family may have had warning signs. 

In his last letter to Avent, Flanagan revealed that he wrote to his father a month before the shooting, saying he didn't want a funeral and wanted to be cremated when he died.  

'I stated my last wish...to be cremated. NO FUNERAL!! That didn't raise a red flag?' Flanagan wrote.

On Sunday, hundreds gathered at the Shaftman Performance Hall in Roanoke, Virginia, for an interfaith memorial to Parker and Ward. 

WDBJ's general manager Jeff Marks spoke at the ceremony, and pictures of the two young journalists were shown on a large screen. 

The ceremony was attended by Parker's parents, as well as her boyfriend, fellow WDBj reporter Chris Hurst.  

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