Coroner: Kentucky lawmaker’s death was suicide

FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) — A coroner has ruled the death of a Kentucky lawmaker facing sexual assault allegations as a suicide.

Bullitt County Coroner Dave Billings said Dan Johnson died from a single self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. A neighbor found Johnson’s body near a road in a secluded area of Mount Washington on Wednesday night. An autopsy Thursday morning confirmed it was a suicide.

Johnson was elected to the legislature in 2016 and was pastor of Heart of Fire Church in Louisville.

On Monday, the Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting published a story detailing allegations that he sexually assaulted a 17-year-old girl in his basement in 2013.

Police investigated in 2013 but filed no charges. The investigation was reopened because of the story. Johnson had called the allegations “totally false.”

Bullitt County Sheriff Donnie Tinnell said Johnson’s wife reported him missing on Wednesday night when she could not reach him after reading a message he posted to Facebook saying “heaven is my home” and asking people to care for his wife.

Authorities recovered 40 mm pistol by Johnson’s body. Tinnell says authorities have a warrant to search Johnson’s car and are doing various forensic tests.