One of the supporters of Mississippi Sen. Chris McDaniel who was arrested in connection to the illegal photographing of the bedridden wife of incumbent U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran is dead of an apparent suicide, according to a report.
The Mississippi Clarion-Ledger newspaper reported Friday that Mark Mayfield, an attorney and official with the Mississippi Tea Party, had been found dead.
In May, police charged Mayfield – a McDaniel supporter who volunteered for the campaign – and three others with being involved in the nursing-home incident.
Police have accused 28-year-old blogger Clayton Kelly of making his way into the St. Catherine’s nursing home in Madison, Miss. to photograph Cochran’s wife, Rose, who is suffering from dementia.
McDaniel, who garnered more votes than Cochran in the primary earlier this year but lost the subsequent run-off this week, has denied any involvement.
McDaniel responded to the Mayfield’s arrest at the time by saying: “As we have said since day one, the violation of the privacy of Mrs. Cochran is out of bounds for politics and is reprehensible. Any individuals who were involved in this crime should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
The nursing home incident is believed to have been a factor that hurt McDaniel at the polls, and is perhaps the only reason he didn’t beat Cochran outright in the primary.