Renowned investigative journalist Michael Hastings was working on story about CIA Chief John Brennan at the time of his mysterious death

Brennan has has been described in secret emails from the President of CIA contractor Stratfor as being on a 'witch hunt' of investigative journalists.

The day he was killed, Hastings sent an email to his editors alerting them that the federal government was investigating him and interviewing his 'close friends and associates'

Hastings' widow says she believes his death was probably just a tragic accident

The mysterious death of famed investigative journalist Michael Hastings took a surprising turn this week when it was revealed that the target of his latest expose was CIA Director John Brennan.

Hastings was killed in a fiery car crash in the Hancock Park neighborhood of Los Angeles about 4:25 a.m. on June 18, of this year. Witnesses described his speeding Mercedes coup as creating sparks and flames before it fish-tailed into a palm tree and exploded. Hastings' body was burned beyond recognition.

Earlier that day, Hastings had sent an email to his editor at the website Buzzfeed alerting him that 'the Feds are interviewing my "close friends and associates." Perhaps if the authorities arrive "BuzzFeed GQ," er HQ, may be wise to immediately request legal counsel before any conversations or interviews about our news-gathering practices or related journalism issues.'

Mystery: the mystery behind the tragic death of journalist Michael Hastings continues to grow

He added that 'Also: I'm onto a big story, and need to go off the radat for a bit.'

Hours later, Hastings was dead.

The big story he was working now appears to be about spy chief Brennan, who has been described in secret emails from the President of CIA contractor Stratfor, Fred Burton - and released by Wikileaks -as being on a 'witch hunt' of investigative journalists.



Hastings' wife, Elise Jordan, revealed on Piers Morgan's show on CNN earlier this month that the story Hastings was working on at the time of his death was about Brennan. The CIA confirmed Jordan's claim to San Diego 6 News, which says that when they brought the information - as well as a leaked email from Stratfor - to Brennan's spokesperson, he responded 'with lightning speed.'

'Witch hunt': Leaked emails from a CIA contractor claim that CIA Chief John Brennan is going after investigative journalists

Inferno: Skeptics came up with conspiracy theories about his death but the Los Angeles Coroner ruled that he died of a blunt force trauma, and died almost immediately after impact in the June 18 crash

Reporter Kimberly Dvorak says she received two emails from the CIA spokesman, one acknowledging that Hastings was working on a story about the CIA, and another stating that 'without commenting on information disseminated by WikiLeaks, any suggestion that Director Brennan has ever attempted to infringe on constitutionally-protected press freedoms is offensive and baseless.'



Jordan says the article about Brennan will appear in an upcoming issue of Rolling Stone magazine.

Conspiracy theorists have jumped all over Hastings' death because he has a proven history of bringing down powerful people (his Rolling Stone article about General Stanley McChrystal effectively ended the general's career) and a collection of secret sources within the highest levels of government.



Beyond Recognition: Authorities had to use a set of fingerprints on file with the FBI to identify his body

In the know: Relatives were reportedly headed to Los Angeles to have an intervention for Hastings as he had relapsed and started using drugs. His widow, Elise Jordan, says his death was likely just a tragic accident

The cryptic emails aside, skeptics have asked where was Hastings going at 4:25 a.m., when witnesses say he was speeding AWAY from his house? Why would he be going so fast on a residential street (authorities say he was traveling 'at top speed' when he hit the tree, although that, too, has been questioned).

Those suspicious of a coverup in Hastings' death even question the intensity of the fire that seemed to instantly engulf Hastings' car after it hit the tree. Some have even suggested that a device was installed in Hastings' car that allowed someone outside of the vehicle to control it's speed and direction - although, those claims have been widely rejected as baseless, as there's no known evidence to suggest that anyone but Hastings was in control of the vehicle, or that such a device even exists.

Adding to the suspicion is the fact that several government agencies - both local and federal - have been slow to turn over public records about the crash, despite hundreds of Freedom of Information Act requests from journalists across the country.