Strange Outbreak Of Suicides Among Missouri Poiticians (Picture)

The Jefferson City, Mo. Police Department confirmed Monday morning that Spence Jackson, a 44-year-old spokesman for Schweich, was found dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound Sunday night.

Capt. Doug Shoemaker said in a news conference on Monday that police believe Jackson took his own life sometime between Friday and Saturday. Jackson’s mother had been unable to reach her son, who lived alone, and contacted police to check up on him, Shoemaker said.

Shoemaker largely avoided getting into specifics about the circumstances of Jackson’s death, citing an ongoing investigation into the apparent suicide. The police captain did say that the investigation had uncovered a note at the scene of Jackson’s death but repeatedly declined to discuss the contents of that note.

A .357 Magnum revolver was also recovered near Jackson’s body along with a single spent round, Shoemaker said. Police have not yet established ownership of the weapon, he added.

Jackson’s death came a little more than a month after Schweich’s own suicide amid rumors that the state’s Republican Party Chairman, John Hancock, had been telling people the candidate was Jewish even though he was an Episcopalian. Jackson was the first person to publicly demand Hancock’s resignation from the state party over the allegations.

Shoemaker said the department was “very aware” of the political issues surrounding Schweich’s death but refused to connect the two apparent suicide cases……..MOREHERE