Yesterday, the body of 34-year-old Marco McMillian was found on a Mississippi River levee. McMillian, who was running for mayor in Clarksdale, MS, was the first openly gay man to run "as a viable candidate" for public office in the state of Mississippi. Authorities suspect that his death was a homicide.
McMillian's SUV was involved in an accident earlier this week, and he was declared missing after he was nowhere to be found. Although police have released very little information to the public, they did reveal that they have a "person of interest" in custody at the moment.
McMillian was a visible community figure. He was the CEO of a nonprofit consulting group and previously served as the international executive director of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. He also reportedly secured the first federal contract to raise awareness about the HIV/AIDS and the impact on communities of color.
[via Gawker]
