A British conspiracy theorist who died in mysterious circumstances vomited two litres of black fluid shortly before he passed away, an inquest has heard.
Max Spiers, 39, sought to expose government cover-ups and had travelled to Poland to speak at a conference when he died on a sofa just 24 hours later.
Days before his death the father-of-two had texted his mother Vanessa Bates the chilling message: “Your boy’s in trouble. If anything happens, investigate.”
Spiers, a world-renowned conspiracy theorist from Canterbury, Kent, was said to have been probing into the lives of well-known figures in politics, business and entertainment.
Bates, 63, said: “I think Max had been digging in some dark places and somebody wanted him dead.”
Spiers, who went to school with Orlando Bloom, had visited Poland after holidaying in Cyprus with a friend, who later discovered his body.
The inquest into his death in Otwock on July 16 opened at Canterbury Coroner’s Court on Monday, after his body was repatriated.
Polish authorities had stated Spiers had died from natural causes but a post-mortem examination at Margate QEQM Hospital, Kent, was unable to determine how he died.
In a statement, coroner’s investigations officer Caroline O’Donnell said: “Mr Spiers became ill with a high temperature and was weak.
“The following day, Mr Spiers vomited two litres of black fluid.
“The friend called a doctor who attempted resuscitation before pronouncing him dead.”
Spiers had lived in America for several years, but had returned to Canterbury to stay with his mother, before leaving for Poland.
Bates, an English teacher, said: “He was making a name for himself in the world of conspiracy theorists and had been invited to speak at a conference in Poland in July.
“He was staying with a woman who he had not known for long and she told me how she found him dead on the sofa.
“Max was a very fit man who was in good health and yet he apparently just died suddenly on a sofa.
“All I have is a death certificate from the Polish authorities that it was from natural causes, but no post-mortem was done so how can they tell that?
“They are also refusing to release any paperwork about it to me because, absurdly, I don’t have his written permission.”
Coroner Alan Blunsdon told the court he was still awaiting a report from Polish authorities.
He also hopes to secure funding to have Spiers’ laptop and mobile phone forensically analysed.
Fellow conspiracy theorists, UFO investigators and bloggers have claimed the circumstances of the death suspicious.
On one website, Project Camelot, a blogger wrote: “The entire circumstances are suspicious and I urge everyone to encourage the release of details about what really happened and call for an autopsy.”
Another, Craig Hewlett, added: “If it wasn’t true what he talks about then why would they kill him? Healthy people don’t just get sick and die, they get poisoned.”
In October Miles Johnson, who also researches UFOs, told BBC Radio Four that Spiers “knew he was going to die” after working to expose “enemies within other realities.”
Johnson added: “We have now got an unthinkable situation. Max has died for his country and the people on this planet. We’re dealing with aliens.
“We’re dealing with a predator within humanity, a fifth column, which has been successful so far in causing us a great deal of damage and harm.
“People like Max were involved in exposing that fifth column. He knew he was going to die. He knew he was in a trap. He told his mother that.”
Bates said: “It’s been a long time coming, but I’m just relieved that at last something is happening and there is a proper investigation and inquest.”
The inquest continues.