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RIDGELAND, Miss. — Mark Mayfield, one of the men charged with taking pictures of Thad Cochran’s wife in a nursing home is dead.

The Clarion-Ledger reports Mayfield was found with a single gunshot.

The death is being investigated as a suicide according to several reports.

Mayfield, who has reportedly been very ill, was a supporter of Cochran’s opponent Chris McDaniel and was vice chairman of the Mississippi Tea Party.

In May he and two other men were charged with conspiracy to photograph Cochran’s wife who has been in a nursing home for 14 years due to dementia.

Blogger Clayton Kelly reportedly entered the nursing home trying to take video of Rose Cochran possibly due to reports Cochran has been living with his female assistant for several years.

The incident was heavily used against McDaniel, though he repeatedly denied involvement.

Cochran beat McDaniel Tuesday in a close runoff.

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