No cause of death has been determined, however an autopsy has been performed and a toxicology test is pending. The coroner told family members that someone dragged McMillian’s body under a fence and left it near a Mississippi River levee last week.
“We feel that this was not a random act of violence based on the condition of the body when it was found,†said McMillian’s campaign in a statement.
McMillian’s campaign also said he was the first openly gay, viable candidate for public office in Mississippi. 22-year-old Lawrence Reed was charged with murder without bond in the case.