Ed Murray Accuser Dies In Auburn Motel

Seattle Mayor Ed Murray and the man accusing him of sexual assault, Delvonn Heckard. Heckard died early Friday morning, February 16, 2018 in a South King County motel.

There’s another shocking twist in the Mayor Ed Murray Sex Scandal. One of the men who have accused the former Washington State legislator and Mayor of Seattle of sexual abuse died earlier today, Friday, February 16, 2018.

The Seattle Times reports  that Delvonn Heckard, 47 of Kent, Washington was found early this morning at the Auburn Motel in South King County where paramedics responded to a call of a suspected drug overdose. King County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed his death and the cause of death has not yet been determined.

Heckard had a long history of substance abuse after a troubled and difficult childhood that included living on the streets as a teenager where he claims he met Murray in 1986 when Heckard was only 15. He claimed that he and Murray had met, gone back to Murray’s apartment for sex, and was subsequently paid by Murray for that sex. The pair continued to have sex at other times over the next few months. Then, as of now, Washington State has a legal age of consent of 16. Heckard filed suit against Murray on April 6, 2017 in King County Superior Court and charged Ed Murray with   “Child Sex Abuse and Illegal Child Prostitution”.

Heckard’s accusations led to another area man accusing Murray of underage sex also in the 80s and the Seattle Times dug up charges from Portland, Oregon where Murray lived prior to moving to Seattle and discovered two instances of Murray being accused of teen sex abuse. Murray denied the allegations despite mounting evidence and cries for him to resign from office. It wasn’t until a cousin of Murray’s came forward to accuse him of abuse that Murray resigned on September 13th of 2017.

At the end of 2017, the City of Seattle paid Heckard $150,000 to avoid a lawsuit despite the fact the alleged crimes happened before Murray was in office.

Heckard also filed a lawsuit against Murray seeking damages for the alleged abuse and for damages to Heckard’s reputation.