A suspect is in custody after the alleged killing of an openly Gay, African-American mayoral candidate in Clarksdale, Mississippi. The body of 34-year-old Marco McMillian was found near the Mississippi River in Coahoma County early Wednesday, a day after an SUV belonging to him was involved in a crash outside of town. McMillian was not in the vehicle at the time, and police launched a search when he could not be reached by phone. The driver was airlifted to a hospital and is expected to survive.

McMillian was one of the first openly Gay candidates for public office in Mississippi, according to the Victory Fund. He had recently moved back to his hometown of Clarksdale from Memphis, Tennessee, with the aim of becoming mayor. Clarksdale is a mostly agricultural city of about 18,000 with high rates of crime and poverty.

Twenty-two-year-old Lawrence Reed of Clarksdale was arrested Thursday on suspicion of murder. He had not been formally charged as SGN went to press. The case remains under investigation.

POLICE: NOT HATE CRIME
McMillian's opponents in the mayor's race included Chuck Espy, a state representative, and Bill Luckett, an attorney who ran unsuccessfully for governor in 2011. Both men are Democrats, as was McMillian. No motive for the slaying has been established, but police say they do not believe the killing was politically motivated or a hate crime.

In a public statement issued Wednesday, McMillian's campaign spokesman, Jarod Keith, said, 'We remember Marco as a bold and passionate public servant, whose faith informed every aspect of his life. Tragically, that life has been cut short.'

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