From the Washington Post chatroom on Ken Lay’s death:

Des Moines, Iowa: I don’t believe this one at all.
I recommend there be proof beyond any doubt that this Ken Lay is dead and there is not a double being used so that Ken Lay can hide somewhere with all the money he stole.
He was convicted of fraud, etc. and could have been sentenced to life. Look at the timing of this death.
He has the financial resources and powerful friends (Bush family, etc.) to pull off a fraudulent death to escape justice.
There must be an independent source allowed to verify the death of Ken Lay. I wouldn’t trust any government entity that would say it is Ken Lay that is dead!
Carrie Johnson: Many people on the Internet and elsewhere have remarked on what they perceive to be the convenient timing of Lay’s death months before he faced criminal sentencing.
The Pitkin Co. sheriff’s office, the hospital in Colorado, and a forensic pathologist in a nearby county all say there was no sign of foul play and that it appears Lay died of natural causes. We’ll know more in weeks when the toxicology screen comes back.