Washington Park, Mo., mayor, John Thornton, 52, was found dead in his car last week. His vehicle was discovered crashed into a tree in the suburb of St. Louis last Thursday morning.
The city’s coroner says Thornton was shot twice in the chest at close range and died upon arrival at the hospital.
According to various media reports, Thornton was doing his usual “patrol” of the city after leaving his job as the foreman of an overnight shift when he stopped to pick up a bystander walking along the side of the road. Police say when the bystander got into the car, he fired two shots into Thornton’s chest. Authorities believe it was an attempted robbery. The suspect reportedly fled the scene in a red Chevrolet.
Washington Park police took two “persons of interest” into custody, but no charges were filed and the pair was released on April 2.
Washington Park is a small city known for its lurid night life and financial woes. The median household income is just over $21,000 according to the 2000 Census, which was about half the national average.
Thornton is survived by his wife, six children and 10 grandchildren.
A $5,000 reward is being offered for any information leading to an arrest and conviction. –gerald radford
