Two Republican Ex-State Senators Found Dead in Their Homes Within Two Days
By Jack Davis
Published June 8, 2019 at 9:18am
A former Republican Oklahoma state senator was found dead in his home on Wednesday — the second unexpected death of a state legislator in two days.
Police found the body of former state Sen. Jonathan Nichols on Wednesday in his home in Norman, Oklahoma, Fox News reported.
“Based on officers that arrived on scene, it was clear there was an apparent gunshot wound,” Norman Police Department public information officer Sarah Jensen said, according to KFOR.
“This individual was a public servant in the Norman community, served not only with the District Attorney’s office but also as a legislator.”
A statement from Norman police said, “Investigators are currently working with the Oklahoma Medical Examiner’s Office to determine the exact cause and manner of death.”
Nichols, 53, served in the Oklahoma Senate from 2000 to 2012.
Earlier this week, the body of former Republican State Sen. Linda Collins-Smith, 57, was found in her home in Pocahontas, Arkansas, KATV reported.
Ken Yang, Collins-Smith’s former press secretary, said the death is being treated as a homicide.
Neighbors reportedly heard gunshots either one or two days before Collins-Smith was found dead, Yang told KATV.
The former legislator’s body was wrapped in a blanket when it was discovered, KATV reported.
No further details on her death have been released at this time.
Collins-Smith, a former Democrat who switched to the Republican Party in 2011, represented the 19th district of Arkansas from 2014 until losing in the 2019 primary.
Both legislators were mourned by their colleagues.