Man charged with murder of Mississippi mayoral candidate

GlobalPost

A man has been arrested for the murder of openly gay Mississippi mayoral candidate Marco McMillian.

Lawrence Reed, 22, a resident of Clarksdale, has been charged with murder, reported the Los Angeles Times. No possible motive was given.

The body of McMillian, 34, the first viable, openly gay candidate in Mississippi, was found near a Mississippi River levee, according to Reuters. His death was not thought to be politically motivated.

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Authorities had been searching for McMillian after his SUV had been involved in a head-on collision with another vehicle, while the owner was not present. Reed was said to be the one driving McMillian's SUV. He was taken to Regional Medical Center in Memphis after the crash and was listed in good condition Thursday morning.

McMillian had recently moved back to his hometown of Clarksdale from Memphis in order to run for mayor as a Democrat. He was up against Democrat Chuck Epsy and attorney Bill Luckett.

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