How Did Jonathan Nichols Die? New Details On The Tragic Death Of The Former Oklahoma Senator
Jonathan Nichols' death is a mystery.
Instagram Before becoming a politician, he was an Assistant District Attorney. And, during his life, he was a prominent member of the Republican Party. So when news was released of his untimely death, the political world was shaken to the core. How did Jonathan Nichols die?
Here's what we know about the death of this respected political figure in the GOP — one whose work was respected on both sides of the political aisle.
1. He was found shot to death
According to the Norman, Oklahoma police department, Jonathan Nichols was found shot to death on Thursday, June 6, 2019, after the police department received reports of gunfire in his area.
“The Norman Police Department responded to a report of an individual with a gunshot wound inside a residence in the 3900 block of Annalane Drive. Upon arrival, officers located one adult male, later identified as 53-year-old Jonathan Nichols, deceased inside the residence from an apparent gunshot wound,” read the press release from the department.
2. Jonathan Nichols served as a senator for 12 years
According to CNN, Jonathan Nichols was an Oklahoma senator for 12 years — from 2000 until 2012. After he retired from the political arena, he taught at the University of Oklahoma. Local lawmakers were stunned at the news of Jonathan Nichols’s death.
"Senator Jonathan Nichols was the most brilliant political, legal mind in the Oklahoma state Legislature, and worked tirelessly as a senator and for years on staff to help guide our state forward," said state Senator Rob Standridge, who succeeded him in Oklahoma's District 15, to CNN.
3. He’s the second state senator to be found dead in his home in just as many days
According to ABC 15, the strange thing about Jonathan Nichols’ death is that it’s not the only one that’s happened recently. Just one day before Nichols was shot to death, former Republican state Senator Linda Collins-Smith was found shot to death in her home in Arkansas, as well. Her death is being treated as a homicide, as is Nichols’.
"She was a good person who served in the public arena with passion and conviction. The first lady and I extend our deepest sympathies to her family and friends during this difficult time," said Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson to the outlet. He also said he was stunned by her death and expressed his condolences to her loved ones.
4. The motive is unclear
According to Fox News, the motive in both Nichols’ and Collins-Smith’s murders is unclear. There also doesn’t seem to be a direct connection between the two murders, save for the fact that both were former Republican senators. No arrests have been made in either case. (It goes without saying that there is no shortage of conspiracy theories, however.) As for Jonathan Nichols, investigators are currently working with the Oklahoma Medical Examiner’s Office to determine the exact cause and manner of death. The case remains under investigation by the NPD Criminal Investigations Division.
Bernadette Giacomazzo is an editor, writer, and photographer whose work has appeared in People, Teen Vogue, Us Weekly, The Source, XXL, HipHopDX, The Los Angeles Times, The New York Post, and more. She is also the author of The Uprising series. Find her online at www.bernadettegiacomazzo.com and www.longlivetheuprising.com.