The Famous Jack Karlson Dies, Aged 82: Find Out About His Family Life

Jack Karlson, also known as ‘Mr. Democracy Manifest’ became a viral sensation after a video of his arrest at a Chinese restaurant depicted his unique behavior. While several officers attempted to shove Karlson into a car, he resisted arrest and repeatedly asked for his offense, thus going viral for his infamous words. He kept on asking if his crime was to just “eat a succulent Chinese meal”?

Jack Karlson’s Darker Life

Karlson, brought up in Brisbane, has always been vague about his parents. When asked, he once jokingly claimed that his father was Alphonsus Hitler and his mother’s name was Eva Braun. When he was around seven years old, he was sent to a boys’ home. During his teenage years, Karlson started getting in trouble for theft and devised unique ways to prevent him from serving his time.

In a book on Karlson’s life, journalist Mark Dapin revealed about the various times he escaped arrest and fled from custody. While reflecting back, Karlson called that part of his life as ‘adventurous’. One interesting technique he revealed was to act mad and pretend to be mentally challenged. This was because it was easier to escape a mental institution than a prison.

Karlson’s Wife Murdered

In the 1970s, Karlson married Ivanka Djugum, who had previously been in a relationship with notorious killer, Barry Quinn. Soon after Quinn escaped a mental facility prison with the help of Karlson’s wife, she was shot dead. Although, he had his suspicion of the killers, he refused to give insight into his wife’s murder’s details.

During his meeting with Jack Karlson, journalist Mark Dapin described him as ‘interesting’. He was also intrigued by a gunshot wound in Karlson’s leg that did not have an adequate explanation.

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Karlson claimed that his arrest, which led to the infamous meme, was a case of mistaken identity

In an interview, Karlson maintained his innocence and explained his point of view behind the arrest. Speaking about the entire dilemma, he believed that living in a democracy, the police were wrong to drag him out especially when he was halfway through an amazing Chinese meal. He further stated that seeing the cameras gave him an idea to prove his innocence to the people of Australia which gave birth to the viral meme.

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Jack Karlson’s Passing

Chris Reason, the journalist who reported the iconic arrest of Mr. Karlson several decades ago, announced the death of Mr. Democracy Manifest via a tweet.

After the initial diagnosis of Jack with prostate cancer, a fundraiser was set up which generated more than $8000 for his treatment. In a statement, his niece thanked all the people who were generous enough to donate and also explained that the money will now be used for his funeral. She further stated that during his last days, Karlson’s spirits were significantly raised after his gofundme took off and he too was appreciative of people’s help.

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His family confirmed the news of his demise on Wednesday, August 7. They verified that he had been battling cancer and various other health issues and succumbed to systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS).

It is reported that a documentary concerning his life in which he revisited the restaurant that made him a global sensation, “The man who ate a succulent Chinese meal” is set for release in 2025.

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Fatima Abid: Obsessed with books since childhood, Fatima Abid now pens down her own words. Her favorite part about writing is transforming the ideas flying in her head into words on a screen. Her abundance of articles are a testament to her passion for writing.