Candidate For Governor In Missouri Dead From ‘Apparent Suicide’

By: SM Gibson | The Anti Media -

ST. LOUIS - Missouri State Auditor Tom Schweich died in his home from a single gunshot to the head on February 26th. Schweich, who was also a Republican candidate in the Missouri governor’s race, was 54 years old.

Police are classifying the death as a suicide.

The bullet was fired literally moments after Schweich had invited a duo of reporters to his home for an interview which was scheduled to take place later that same day.

The State Auditor left a voice message – only minutes before he died – with Tony Messenger, the editor of the editorial pages for the St. Louis Post Dispatch. In the voicemail – which you can listen to here – Schweich said, “Tony, this is Tom Schweich calling… You can have a reporter here at my house at 2:30.” A 911 call was subsequently placed from the Republican candidate’s home at 9:48am, only seven minutes after Schweich had left the voicemail with Messenger.

Schweich also spoke directly with AP reporter David Leib in the preceding moments – approximately 13 minutes – before his death.

The subject of the interview was meant to be in regards to a conflict between Schweich and Missouri State Republican Chairman John Hancock. Schweich was said to be going public that afternoon with allegations that Hancock had made anti-Semitic comments about the State Auditor as well as had spread disinformation about the candidate.

Although Schweich did have Jewish ancestry, he himself was not Jewish and in fact attended an Episcopal church.

Since the death, Hancock has denied the rumors that he slandered anyone.

Upon making his announcement to run for the highest seat in the Show-Me state, Schweich promised to clean up corruption in the state Capitol. He even went as far as to state that former Missouri House Speaker Catherine Hanaway – his main Republican primary opponent – was “bought and paid for.”    Hanaway has currently received about $1 million in political contributions from megadonor Rex Sinquefield.

Schweich was first elected as State Auditor in 2010, and easily won re-election to a second term last November.