Police investigating the death of attorney and tea party activist Mark Mayfield believe that his death resulted from a gunshot wound to the head and said his body was found in the garage of his home.
A statement from the Ridgeland, Mississippi Police Department on Friday said that Mayfield, one of the men charged in connection to a political blogger who went to the nursing home of Sen. Thad Cochran’s (R-MS) wife to photograph her for an anti-Cochran video, was found lying on the floor in the storage room inside his garage. Officers who responded to the 911 call about Mayfield also found a “large caliber revolver” with the body.
Police said the death appeared to be a suicide.
“Because all of the indications, it appears to be suicide, but we still got some things to look into,” Ridgeland police Chief Jimmy Houston said to CNN.
The address and name of Mayfield’s wife has been redacted. Here is the statement:
Ridgeland, MS. Friday, June 27, 2014, approximately 0903 hours (9:03 am), a 911 call was received at Ridgeland Police Department communications center from … a female who stated to the communications officers that her husband had just shot himself. Officers from the Ridgeland Police Department arrived on scene at 0907 hours (9:07 am) where they were directed by this female to a storage room located inside the garage of the residence. Upon the officers entry into the storage room, a Caucasian/White male was located lying on the floor with a single gunshot wound on his head. This subject was determined to be deceased at the scene as a result of this gunshot. Officers who responded also located a large caliber revolver with the body. The death is classified as a death investigation-pending, due to a awaiting autopsy to be performed at an undetermined time. Initial investigation at the scene by investigators with the Ridgeland Police Department did not reveal any indication of foul play and the death is currently under investigation. The only person at the residence at the time of the gunshot has been identified as…spouse of the deceased.
This story was updated.
