Second former GOP state senator found shot dead in two days, this time in Oklahoma

[malaise]

https://www.aol.com/article/news/2019/06/07/second-former-gop-state-senator-found-shot-dead-in-two-days-this-time-in-oklahoma/23743647/?utm_source=zergnet.com&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=zergnet_4183450&ncid=txtlnkusaolp00001361&guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuemVyZ25ldC5jb20v&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAEp7YaSDpF-X11VeLV9hrXFqB9z3mlA52-r-B2X6qZAiLYvA2QqGljshKqCYkeGgxplIFYMSASPzIqQJzVuIZzBaI_-r8LXRrt8LTw1CDt8m9cRgVlk60TGnu9aqEuQmJCElbfJnJ2k2l16MpB6qZddj3rTd0RP1bZ4OOzDxZ_rL
<snip>
A second former GOP state senator was found dead from a gunshot within a span of two days.

Former Oklahoma state Sen. Jonathan Nichols, 53, was found dead inside his home in Norman on Wednesday night from an apparent gunshot wound, police said. Cops are working with the Oklahoma Medical Examiner’s Office to determine the exact cause and manner of death.

His death comes just one day after former Arkansas state Sen. Linda Collins-Smith, 56, was found fatally shot outside her home in Pocahontas on Tuesday. Police are investigating her death as a homicide.
Police could not identify Collins-Smith’s body until Thursday because it had decomposed considerably. It’s not known how long she had been dead when her body was discovered, but her former press secretary Ken Yang told KATV that neighbors said they had heard gunshots a day or two earlier.

[TalenaGor]

1. wtf......Putin must be tying up loose ends...?

[malaise]

2. A ReTHUG mass suicide would be fine with me

Just saying

That said I do wonder if there is a link with these two.

[11cents]

6. There's no f to wt about.

The article is from almost two months ago. A friend of the AR state rep has been charged with her homicide. Don't know the outcome in the other death, but I'm just going to go out on a limb and say no connection and not Putin.

[malaise]

9. Actually there is a WTF although the two murders do not appear to be connected

https://abcnews.go.com/US/prosecutors-seek-death-penalty-suspect-shooting-death-arkansas/story?id=64663941
Ex-staffer pleads not guilty in murder of former state senator

Prosecutors will seek the death penalty for the woman accused in the murder of former Arkansas Sen. Linda Collins-Smith.

Collins-Smith was found dead at her home in Pocahontas, some 145 miles northeast of Little Rock, on June 4, according to authorities. The suspect, 48-year-old Pocahontas resident Rebecca Lynn O’Donnell, was arrested about a week and a half later.

[Faux pas]

11. Yep

they knew too much. Now it's not safe to stay in office or get out. They might as well start telling all they know, get some witness protection going.

[Aristus]

12. Or it's just business as usual in Oklahoma.

Unlimberin' yer shootin' iron 'n' givin' what-for is a way of life there...

[Clash City Rocker]

3. Probably the same shooter

They weren’t living that far apart from each other. I wonder what that’s all about.

[malaise]

4. or

murder suicide?? Lil affair or something like that

[Clash City Rocker]

15. Well, technically, it would then be the same shooter

But yeah, that’s possible too.

[malaise]

18. Not based on the prosecutors charge yesterday

See #7 - wasn't him although he did commit suicide.

[Tech]

5. June 7th

[malaise]

7. Prosecutors to seek death penalty for suspect in shooting death of former Arkansas Sen. Linda Collin

From yesterday

https://abcnews.go.com/US/prosecutors-seek-death-penalty-suspect-shooting-death-arkansas/story?id=64663941
Prosecutors will seek the death penalty for the woman accused in the murder of former Arkansas Sen. Linda Collins-Smith.

Collins-Smith was found dead at her home in Pocahontas, some 145 miles northeast of Little Rock, on June 4, according to authorities. The suspect, 48-year-old Pocahontas resident Rebecca Lynn O’Donnell, was arrested about a week and a half later.

O’Donnell, once an aide to Collins-Smith and an employee of the former senator's business, is being held without bond on charges of capital murder, abuse of a corpse and tampering with physical evidence.

[Tech]

8. Missed that, thank you

[malaise]

10. That said there does not appear to be a connection

between the two murders

[OKNancy]

13. Nichols died from self-inflicted gunshot

http://www.oudaily.com/news/npd-concludes-investigation-on-death-of-former-state-senator-former/article_73d2d8c4-98f2-11e9-8d12-8b47d8d1d640.html

According to Norman Police.
FYI, I was born and raised in Norman. If it was like when I lived there, the police all had Master's degrees. LOL Many with beards.
University town, so it's not a hick town as some would like to stereotype.

[malaise]

14. Thanks OKNancy

His did look like suicide. Thanks for the info on Norman. I know very little about the state let alone the town.

[OKNancy]

16. Just a little note...

I was born 6 months apart from Elizabeth Warren. Her grade school was Wilson, mine was Lincoln. They were about 1.5 miles apart.
Back then it was a great small town. Everyone pretty much middle class (Liz was not in poor neighborhood). Most of the "rich" people were University professors and football coaches (lol) and maybe the banker. It all changed with urban sprawl from OKC. Population in the 1960s was about 35,000-40,000. Now it is 125,000.

[tblue37]

17. This story is from some time ago, though. nt

[malaise]

19. True

but it was back in the news yesterday