[4] He first achieved notoriety on April 1, 1986, when he sued the village of Zion, Illinois for displaying a Christian cross on a water tower, as well as other property.

[4][5] The case eventually went to the U.S. Supreme Court in 1992, which ruled in Sherman's favor and ordered municipalities to drop the use of religious symbols.

[2] His success earned him front-page news coverage and invites to appear on national TV shows, including those of Oprah Winfrey, Phil Donahue and Larry King.

[3] He filed lawsuits against numerous American municipalities, against the Boy Scouts of America in 1997, and against Township High School District 214 in 2007 for what he considered unconstitutional endorsements of religion.

[6] Reporter Richard Roeper said in 1998 that "he has battled towns from South Holland to Deerfield to Zion to Palatine to Highland, Ind., and Wauwatosa, Wis., over public displays of religious symbols on water towers, on government property and on official village seals.

[3][6] Sherman's political positions included support for capitalism, same-sex marriage, and climate change advocacy, and he opposed red light cameras.

[10] The National Transportation Safety Board determined that Sherman's plane lost control soon after taking off, and that it crashed around 6:19 p.m. on December 9.

[11] Federal Aviation Administration records also showed that Sherman had a sport pilot certificate, meaning that by flying at night, he was violating the restrictions on his license.