Judge hears details of gay Miss. mayoral candidate’s slaying

CLARKSDALE, Miss. — A Mississippi judge has allowed prosecutors to proceed with their case against a man charged in the death of mayoral candidate Marco McMillian.

Circuit Court Judge Charles Webster heard details of the investigation during a preliminary hearing Friday for Lawrence Reed, accused of killing McMillian, reported The Press Register.

Sheriff’s office investigator Marene Jones said phone records indicate McMillian and Reed knew each other before the Clarksville candidate’s nude, battered body was found Feb. 27 near a Mississippi River levee.

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Jones said Reed told investigators that McMillian invited him to a party before driving him on a back road, stopping his vehicle and watching pornography on his phone.

McMillian’s death drew national attention after his campaign said he was the first viable, openly gay candidate for office in Mississippi.

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McMillian’s sexuality was not an issue in his campaign, but because the 33-year-old aspiring politician was gay and black, some speculated that his death might have been a hate crime.

Reed is accused of strangling McMillian before dumping his body on the levee, dousing it with gasoline and setting it on fire.