Jackson Jambalaya

All for nothing.

Prayers for his family. I guess the pressure and shame were too much.

This is just SO HORRIBLE! Prayers lifted for Robin and the boys.
(Mr. McDaniel has much to answer for).

Very sad. My condolences to his family.

Prayers lifted for his family

I blame one person for her political prosecution of this good, kind, decent man. Unforgivable.

My sweet Mark...my sweet Mark.

This absolutely breaks my heart for his family. Nothing could have possibly been that wrong.

This blood is on Chris McDaniel's hands. Praying for the Mayfield family...

So sad. Next up: this "conspiracy" gets dismissed as the trumped-up charge it was. Too late for Mayfield, though.

Very sad. Nothing was worth this. Nothing.

RIP Mark. I'm so sorry the pain was unbearable.

It is a shame, Such a deeper person than most will ever know and a kind soul. His pain is only magnified by those of us left here to grieve. RIP my friend and may God have mercy on his family.

RIP Mr Mayfield, Praying for your family.
(Another casualty of the MS TEA PARTY)

So sad. Mark was a good man. Prayers to his family.

Too sad to be True.

I always figured he was the one that tipped Melanie to the initial arrest.

What is the world was he thinking when he got involved with those amateurs?

@1032

Don't ever post again

Thanks Thad. Well played....

10:42 you should be ashamed

I think his mother passed earlier this year. It had been a rough year for him.

10:42 I am a McDaniel supporter but there is no way I can assess blame to Thad for this terrible tragedy and the loss of life of this good and decent man. It is a tragedy, but lets not be quick to blame. I can promise you Thad Cochran feels as bad about this death as I do.

Everyone. Step Back. Read Galatians 5:22-23. Ponder that, then if you feel to get on here and make comments about either side and their complicity, I feel very sorry for you.

First we should pray for this mans family. Its tragic for them.

It should be crystal clear that there was far more to this story than we will ever know, and one man took those secrets to the grave.

Mark was a friend since childhood. He was a great guy, recent events notwithstanding. Robin and the boys have a hard trek ahead. Please be considerate of them and lift them up in prayer. Unfortunately, his death will be fodder for political football and that is beyond cruel.

Lee Miller

I guess he was guilty??

Please don't use this man's death for political purposes. His family deserves better than that. He made a mistake, but it was not worth ending his life. I've been told he was a very kind person.

My prayers go out to his family. What a terribly sad situation.

RIP Mr. Mayfield

How could Thad be in any way responsible for Mayfield's unbelievable lack of judgment?

Mark Mayfield was an outstanding person. I am a Thad backer but the first thing I did after his arrest was text him offering my full support. He was a good friend and a truly decent person. I suspect that the recent death of his mother, which he had not gotten over, had as much to do with this as the political events. Having two or three life-altering tragedies in a short period of time can be hard to handle.

What was an outstanding, decent person doing consorting with those three knuckleheads? He lost his way somewhere.

Thad Cochran is not to blame for this. Neither is Chris McDaniel. Mayor Mary and her minions guided and directed the shameful circus prosecution of Mark. They sent a SWAT team to arrest a good man for a misdemeanor accusation. Judge Danks dropped a ludicrous bond on him to show how serious Madison was as a show for Mary to look tough in front of the good citizens of St. Catherine's village. The source of this tragedy is the good Mayor of Madison. Absolute power corrupts absolutely.

May Mark go from strength to strength in that perfect continuing service that is everlasting life in Christ our Lord. We will miss you my kind friend. My prayers go out for Robin and the boys.

You should ALL be ashamed of how ALL OF YOU have acted over a bunch of political BS!!!! No mans life is worth all the crap said and done over the last 6 months and for WHAT??? So one man can claim a job in politics and do absolutely the SAME THING his predecessors have? NOTHING! Prayers to this man and his family though this difficult time. And prayers to ALL OF YOU involved in the mudslinging and BS shoveling. You have all done NOTHING but bring shame to out great state and help to end the life of another human being, ALL IN THE NAME OF POLITICS!!!!!

This dude was an experienced attorney. Why was he even involved in a misdemeanor? Something doesn't meet the eye.

Mary has has been destroying or attempting to destroy people for years. This is the first time it ended up in a death. She has much to answer for here. And for those of you who wonder if she can live with herself, don't doubt that she can. She has no soul.

Fairly intelligent black lady here, I don't know this guy, but when I read this earlier today, my heart sank. No one should be driven to want to end their life and I can't help but think, this arrest and all these other things did this to him. I certainly hope those who brought charges against this man, have no blood on their hands. If he was accurately charged, then you have to watch who you lie down with. My mom always says it, "you lay down with dogs, you will get up with fleas." People are doing dirty things these days, of the likes we probably can't believe or imagine. Deals with the Devil are being made. You dance with the Devil, just know it won't be to your music. Condolences to the family and either they will sweep this under the rug, let it die for lack of exposure, or they'll dig in and like roaches when the lights are turned on, they'll be scatter.

@ 11:13 - Concerning Danks and Mary. Finally the truth is spoken.

Please pause and try to see the big picture before making subjective comments. You may be the subject being discussed on this site tomorrow. We all understand the draw of this site. It is anonymous (we think), no one knows we are looking at it (we think) no one knows we are commenting (we think) etc.
SUICIDE IS TABOO. (we think) Mark is at peace. I have wanted to commit suicide before because I live in physical and mental pain. It is horrible. I, like Mark, have a strong faith. Life can become dark. Robin and children...this is for you... Believe me with all of your hearts...Your husband and father was not weak for taking his life. He was not a coward. For whatever reason, whether it was a physical component in his brain; a choice he made with negative repercussions, or a point he reached when he said...I cannot go on...He knew that God was waiting for him, arms open, to hold him and heal him and take the pain away. I have been there. Many times. Then things get better for a while. Then I go there again. Perhaps one day I will make the decision Mark made. For those of you who do not understand, well, you don't understand. Mark Mayfield was a man made of flesh and blood. He leaves a large family behind that would have moved heaven and earth to have prevented his death if they could have done so. Each man lives within himself. The beautiful truth that has come out of this tragedy is that Mark Mayfield is with his Savior. Let's move forward.

Blaming this on the Mayor of Madison is childish on all of you. If they arrested him on the pictures then they had some evidence wheither you want to believe it or not. Again what if it had been your parent in the nursing home? Feel sorry for the family but it seems lots more is going on and maybe that was being looked into and lots of other things were being found out. Wonder if the police contacted his attorney and advised him of additional charges being filed for other things.

they lost the bond 250gs

Exactly.

Mayor Mary and her minions guided and directed the shameful circus prosecution of Mark. They sent a SWAT team to arrest a good man for a misdemeanor accusation. Judge Danks dropped a ludicrous bond on him to show how serious Madison was as a show for Mary to look tough in front of the good citizens of St. Catherine's village. The source of this tragedy is the good Mayor of Madison. Absolute power corrupts absolutely.

I knew Mark. His character was beyond reproach. He was had the kind of moral character that I looked up to and respected. If the political machine can defame him, they can do it to anyone. This is the way the good ole boys destroy their opposition, one by one.

Mr. Mayfield was involved with some unscrupulous people. He was involved in wrongdoing, and he made the decision to participate in shameful activity. That doesn't mean he was a bad person. This seems to have been the last in a series of events in his life that he didn't feel he could live with. I'm very sorry for him, for his family and friends. Suicide is an attempt to kill the pain. It comes with a very high price for all concerned.

How could a "political machine" force him into becoming involved with such a hare-brained scheme? He had a character flaw somewhere.

Why wasn't he allowed to turn himself in for a mideameanor? Did they really need a swat team? Why didn't they send one for Thad's sign stealer arrested in Desoto? Because it is crazy.? Yep. Sleep well, folks that had a hand in this.

This has gotten way out of hand.This whole escapade is giving the whole state a bad name. Chris needs to concede and quit whining. Thad should support dropping the charges against these gentlemen. Its time to heal.

Does anyone else wonder where the "good" Chros McDaniel is in all of this? Oh that's right...he's still whining about his loss instead of issuing a statement regarding the death of this good, decent man. Everything he did was in support of McDaniel, and he hasn't even issued a statement of condolence!

those that are blaming others have a cold cruel heart. because this is the first thing you thought of and not his family tells me that your intentions are evil. we are supposed to mourn for the dead. And if he left behind a wife and children this is even more reason that you need to keep your fat mouths shut and your slimy tongues in your mouth. You are a disgrace to the republican party and sicken me.....and confirms the low life thought process that many of you seem to possess. more reason for me to switch parties. I did not know mr mayfield but please refrain from your disrespect and give your sympathies.

1201 judge Danks ha! Interesting choice for Madison. And who was standing on the stage behind Cochran that looked like Nancy Pelosi standing behind Obama when Cochran gave his little 8 second speech? yep the Madison gang!

1137. why do you feel the need to state your race? this blog is for everyone red yellow black or white--man or woman so telling us you're race does not make us have a difference of opinion. Just saying...

He was arrested on a felony charge, not misdemeanor.

"This whole escapade is giving the whole state a bad name"


Thanks for the laugh, 12:25 PM.

You folks need to lay off the s'more schnapps for a day or two. Wipe the froth from your gums and go back to being decent and boring. Maybe turn off the televisions and radios for a few days as well. If anyone has blood on their hands it's Charles C. Johnson and his out-of-state pundits for pushing this along and getting all you folks riled up into a meaningless frenzy.

What a very kind and sweet man we have lost. This campaign was so brutal and heartbreaking that he must have found this situation unbearable. It is added cruelty to say that Chris McDaniel was at fault. This can be laid squarely at the feet of those who set him up in this scandal, and by that I mean the Cochran camp and all its minions who would stop at nothing to win this election. You have his blood on your hands.

12:36 -- I am a Cochran supporter. Whatever the background on the election issues, I think out of respect for a man's WIFE and his CHILDREN, everyone should stand down. This is not the appropriate forum for anyone to malign, support, attack, defend, etc. Mr. Mayfield, Mr. McDaniel, Mayor Mary, Senator Cochran, etc.

KF -- please open up a separate blog for those people who feel they have to make political points off this issue.

There was no SWAT team sent to arrest him They were just investigators from the RPD. C-L has the details.

Those blaming Chris McDaniel or the tea party for this are despicable and either dishonest or delusional. But there's a lot of despicable that went on in this election. @11:13 hits the mark. So sorry for Mark's family as they begin to pick up the pieces.

I knew it wouldn't take long for some of you to try to politicize this terrible tragedy.

Those of you who have are not just disturbing but so hate filled as to have lost all semblance of humanity. You are in serious need of psychological help.

You hurt, not help any cause or person you imagine you are championing by making such outrageous statements. You have erased any credibility you might have had.

That is because psychologically healthy and rational people can put politics and tragic events in proper perspective.

I would also tell you that if you do not have friends with whom you have some political or religious differences, you don't have many friends.

I did not agree with Mr. Mayfield politically or know him personally . That doesn't keep my heart from going out to his wife , children, family and friends. Those who loved him and called him " friend" saw more of the man than his opinion on something as fleeting as the politics of the moment. And, it is not a surprise to me that he had many redeeming qualities that earned him a special place in their hearts.

The deeper one digs into the power structure here in Mississippi the more raw evil you witness. If you know too much, its like the mafia.

When I first heard of this tragedy my prayer was for this to be a call to truce and that The Lord would use this as a way to start a healing process. Sadly seeing the responses on both sides, that does not appear to be the case. My heart is hurting for the sin and malice that is evident among our fellow Mississippians. A man died today, and we are pointing fingers and trying to accuse others of being responsible. We will never really know why he chose this route, but it is sad and heartbreaking it came to this no matter who did what

"(Pat) Bruce is not alone in those feelings. So many who have reached out to me today feel Madison police and the district attorney's office went too far with the way they handled their investigation and particularly with their treatment of Mayfield."

Pat Bruce is right: Mayor Mary owns a big chunk of this one.

http://www.clarionledger.com/story/dailyledes/2014/06/27/mayfield-death-pat-bruce/11484789/

1:22 is correct I personally saw 1 unmarked police car a madison pd officer with a bullet proof vest on and a hinds county sherriff car. No swat team.

So if someone sends me a picture and I share it with others the swat team will come to my house? hell I could not even get the police to come over to the drug dealers house next door. I could not even get the judge to press charges on a girl taking advantage of a vulnerable adult or get a return phone from that local division. .. and a swat team for thisssss???? that is absolutely ridiculous!!! you would have thought he was a terrorist. Its only because it happened to someone in a high position that had available resources to react quickly. those madison folks should be ashamed of the way they handled this. On judgement day they will be taking care of! I do not see how they could look at themselves in the mirror every day knowing that their actions were probably the straw that broke the camel's back. Just Shameful. when you guys go to church pray for yourselves for forgiveness for the way this matter was handled.....although there are some that do not have a conscience and I will pray for you. Shame on those that reacted this way and shame on those that had them to do it ! now I hope you feel better and you know who you are. pray hard for Mr Mayfield's family and to give them courage and strength to get through this terrible time of tragedy.

I will write this as someone who was a friend of Mark's and am very sad to see this happen.

Anyone making comments on the investigation is making them pretty much blind. We don't know what the evidence is, we haven't really seen anything, and while we can say what we want, we really don't know. Don't worry, if you've read this website, you know the courtfiles, testimony, etc will wind up here when produced. Just remember no one has seen an actual case outside of law enforcement.


If it was a phony case, then have at it. If it was a bona fide case, then ok. I've known Mark for years and always liked him. We were friends. Not best friends but friends. He's going to be missed by me and more than a few people regardless of how the kelly case turns out. Keep the family in your prayers.

It doesn't matter if it was a swat team or not. Stop obsessing over that minor detail. What matters is just what Pat said. The Madison Mayor and her police and judge lashed out at Mark for political gain and this was the result. mayor Mary needs to explain herself and why she thought this was all necessary.

you have to imagine that guilt, or shame drove him to this desperate act. likely guilt for if he were falsely accused, I think he would not have the shame. My guess is that he
was implicated beyond question.
someone driven by guilt/shame possibly left a note.

I'm proud to live in Madison. It's b/c of our Mayor , Judge, and police officers that our city is safe and virtually crime free. The city officials didn't pull the trigger ... "If you can't do the time, don't do the crime". That being said, I knew Mark and he was a great guy! Pray for his family and shut up about whose to blame!

And one has to remember where Mary was standing on Runoff night. Right behind Thad with a smile that looked like she earned after giving a good rodgering.

Discussing display of abuse of power. Sympathies to the family.

The whole photo scandal was nothing that warranted felony charges.

The way the powers that be tried to publicly humiliate and ruin those involved probably contributed to Mark's depression over the whole saga.

In a year or two the whole photo thing would have blown over and been largely forgotten.

Mark was a good man. I don't know what exactly happened in the photo scandal, but I highly doubt any of it would hold up in court as a felony.

It pains me to think that Mark was so upset that he felt this was his only option.

Prayers to his family and friends. He will be missed.

Knowing Mark, it was not guilt, it was the fact his reputation and that of his family was tarnished. Even if and when this mess was proven or not, he knew things would never be the same. He was so proud of his grown sons, who are very smart and successful, and I'm sure he feels he let everyone down just for the fact of being implicated and arrested. He had the kindest soul I've seen. He also had lost his father, mother (just a few months age), brother (age 14 I think) and baby sister over the course of his lifetime, and I'm sure he felt a cumulative sense of loss, also.

Lori, You think your life wouldnt be ruined if someone made false accusations against you? You might lose your job or your clients. Do you realize how little it takes to be charged with something? Then you are arrested, handcuffed, given huge bond amounts that make you look even more guilty? Then a campaign puts your face in ads all over TV? In America people are supposed to be innocent until proven guilty. That is not the way Mark was treated by Madison PD, which is controlled by one person.

Mark will be missed. A superb, caring man. Emphasis on caring as Mark cared so much about our country. Right or wrong will be determined and we should expect full accountability from the justice system. Keep this in mind. Mark had a great deal of money and he could have sat on his butt and focus on spending it but he, instead, worked hard, took care of his family and worked for the USA. There are many accusers, mockers, wannabes and critics who make comments on this line including me every now and then. I wish I had the natural class and kindness this man displayed. RIP Mark. We'll miss you.

People, I can't imagine why a falsely accused person who obviously had so many who cared about him would commit suicide. I'm assuming his innocence and that he may have had problems of which we are unaware.
As an attorney, if guilty, then he certainly knew the risks he was assuming in participating and the possible charges that could be filed if his involvement became known.
In either case, this is a terrible tragedy.
If innocent, I'm sorry he didn't trust that he'd be exonerated. If guilty, I'm sorry he made such a bad decision in the heat of a political campaign and didn't believe that his life could be rebuilt.

We shouldn't judge Mary or Dale. Soon enough they will be judged by our maker. They will have to answer for their sins. I pray for Marks family as we all should.

Am I the only one noticing that he lived in Bridgewater on Cherry Laurel lane? Three lawyers dead who lived on that small street in six months. All with strange circumstances. Waycaster, Precious and now Mark Mayfield. Where is John Grisham on this one? Very strange coincidence? KF I understand if you don't post this but I'm floored.

We are blessed to live in a country with free speech.
We also live in a country with wonderful educational opportunities. Many comments that have been made are so uneducated, improper, wrong and taken out of context that the persons submitting them should be put in kindergarten level programs. It is embarrassing
that a portion of this posted information is open to those out of MS to view. As a Mississippian who cares about our State, I am appalled. The Mississippians that make our State strong and wonderful do not agree with the slaughter of character and questionable ethics of many of these posts. Of course, this site does lend itself to good reading, which we do encourage! :)

Irrespective of one's political or religious leanings, no one should judge him or know his motive. As Pope Francis said when recently asked about another controversial issue: "Who am I to judge?" Pray for him, his family and for peace.

Mark was a true friend to me and my family. I truly admired his depth of character and caring nature. I only hope that the children and Robin can eventually find peace.

I am totally stunned and shocked by this. Why?

The comments here are amazing: basically nothing but people using one excuse or another to call each other evil or stupid or unchristian. I need to print this out, to show to people who ask why we left Mississippi. Because THIS is what people there are REALLY like, beneath their "easy-goin'" veneers.

You people probably ARE all the awful things you're calling each other. Except, please leave Mary Hawkins Butler out of it. We lived in Madison, and like countless others, were beneficiaries of her kindness and self-sacrifice. Unlike others, who thump their bibles while doing evil, she actually LIVES her Christian faith. If anything, she's too good and generous for her own good.

I wish all the bitter, failed developers (and their wives and secretaries and moms) would just go someplace else, having failed to rape Madison. Why don't you losers just go somewhere else? Why? Because Mary Hawkins Butler has made Madison so special there IS noplace like it (not on your side of the Rockies, anyway). But really... Can't you just go and help ruin Oxford or Southhaven or Petal?

We would have left Mississippi long before we finally did, if not for Mayor Mary. And a good chunk of our success - our ABILITY to pay to relocate to a more posh part of the country - was due the climate of optimism that Mary created in Madison. She helped make us who we are. And she's helped countless others.

I would suggest that you losers concentrate on moving your scraggly asses somewhere else, instead of wasting time trying to dirty Mayor Mary's name. There's a reason why seventy seven percent of the residents of that town voted for her this time, despite the best efforts of the cabal of criminals trying to oust her. She's one of the few good things Mississippi has going for it.

If not for Mary, there would BE no Madison County Miracle - no Nissan plant - no high concentration of exceptional people and fine homes - and far more people would have fled Mississippi. Are you really so greedy and selfish that you would attempt to ruin things for everyone else, by discrediting the person who made it all happen, just because YOU were too incompetent or dysfunctional to participate in making Madison what it is?

Very sad, what has befallen Mayfield's family and friends.

Re: Pat Bruce's remarks, it does seem that, in a functioning democracy, the Madison P.O. could and should be required to explain the apparently different treatment of Mark Mayfield.

That assumes, of course, that the City of Madison is a functioning democracy.

2:16 said it best. And the to the people that matter he will be remembered for all the good and great things he did and was. Rest in peace Honorable Mark Mayfield.

@2:16 You have said it all and captured the essence of what I feel. My prayers, my sincere prayers will be for him, for his family, and for our State.

He was a seasoned professional that somehow got involved with people he would normally never even meet. They say politics makes for strange bedfellows. It is hard to believe he did not know better.

Great worthy to the point comment 3:43. Thank you for posting it. I live in northeast Jackson and so admire what the Queen has created there. If you ask Leland Speed who is hero is, he will tell you Mary Hawkins, Mississippi's greatest realtor.....and that is what she sells every day of her life.

Now to the Mark Mayfield tragedy....May Gods mercy and strength be with the family. A pure tragedy.

3:43 and 4:32 are crass at a time like this to come on here with insults. Sounds like a paid lackey whose only goal is protecting their boss. Mark was a wonderful person. He did not deserve to be destroyed to make a political point. Looks like to me someone is nervous.

Suicide is attributed to a mental disorder such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, borderline personality disorder,[1] alcoholism, or drug abuse. I guessing with Mark's case it was depression. I know i'm as guilty as the rest who accused him of wrong doing. I said some bad things that can never be taken back.

Mayor Hawkins,
I'm the woman who came to your antique store when you were thinking of running for office and suggested you go to Roswell, GA to see the possibilities.
I understand what your goals were and are and what you have achieved and will achieve despite the ignorance that abounds.
I know you far too bright to let the attacks on this site deter you.
And, I know you are also saddened by this horrible tragedy.

3:43, are you saying your economic success I'm Madison justifies Mary 's horrific treatment of Mark Mayfield? Sure sounds like it...

For my sake, I truly hope I don't have my life and character judged based on any one particular act I've done. Matter of fact, I don't wish that on anyone. Every actor in this drama is a person, a human. None of them are perfect, and all of us have made decisions and done things that we cringe about in hindsight. We are all alike in that way. Maybe we each share some of the same character flaws we revile in others. Some of the bad things we do to each other have public and severe consequences and some just haunt us privately. Each of us bare some amount of blame for the way things turned out. Some people may have been participants, others of us may have played the role of voyuuers consuming and commenting on the misfortune and human frailty of others. No matter which category our transgressions against each other fall into, we are all the same. Maybe we should all comment on that for a while and give the dead a brief respite from consequence.

"3:43 and 4:32 are crass at a time like this to come on here with insults. Sounds like a paid lackey whose only goal is protecting their boss. Mark was a wonderful person. He did not deserve to be destroyed to make a political point. Looks like to me someone is nervous." June 27, 2014 at 4:48 PM

Do you realize, 4:48, that you have just offered yourself as an ILLUSTRATION of what 3:43 was talking about? Are you a developer/civil engineer/builder who tried (but failed) to have his way with Madison? Or are you a developer/civil engineer/builder's lovesick secretary, bitter wife, or vendetta-driven mother? Just wondering...

Anyway, in your haste to deflect and insult, did you realize that 3:43 made no mention of Mark at all? That post seemed to be about the inappropriate comments being made here. And what do you do? You come along and make yet another comment of the type that 3:43 was describing. And where are the "insults" in 4:32's comment?

As for the last sentence of your post, why don't you go look in the mirror? I think you'll find your 'nervous someone' there. Too, there will possibly be a 'paid lackey' staring back at you.

So a good man is dead, and Mary's goons are talking about the importance of their real estate prices. Sounds right.

3:43, are you saying your economic success I'm Madison justifies Mary 's horrific treatment of Mark Mayfield? Sure sounds like it...

June 27, 2014 at 5:21 PM
___________
Nice try at sneaking in a set of INVALID ASSUMPTIONS.

I made an A in Logic. Apparently, you did not. Or, possibly, you are hoping that others will be more gullible.

You are attempting to insert the assumption that Mayor Mary was the driving force behind the handling of the case. Considering the large number of powerful interests which have converged to influence this Senatorial election, I would think that you would have a long list of "suspects". You do realize, don't you, that the Tea Party has enemies - very powerful enemies - beyond Mississippi's state line?

And those running Saint Catherine's Village can not have been pleased by the incident. Do I need to point out that Saint Catherine's is affiliated with one of the most powerful entities on the planet? It is an entity with access to Supreme Court Justices, America's top attorneys, and legendary parallel power structures. I sincerely doubt that any leaders within that entity, or within Saint Catherine's organization, were amused by the antics of the picture-takers.

In the unlikely event that actions against the conspirators in the picture-taking gambit were overreaching or improper, there is such a long list of powerful potential 'driving forces' behind those actions, I find it curious that you should focus on Mayor Mary. Or perhaps you have a PERSONAL GRUDGE against her?

Also invalid is the assumption that Mark Mayfield's treatment was "horrific". I do business in Eastern Europe and Northeast Asia. I could tell you about "horrific", in considerable detail.

As it was, Mark Mayfield was out on bond, and at home, when his moment of personal crisis occurred. If you have evidence that he was mistreated during or after his arrest, then I'm sure most of us would be interested in hearing about it. Torture? Rape? What exactly do you mean by "horrific"?

My guess is that you don't mean much at all.

In summary: Not Mary's doing. Not "horrific". You can run along, now...

Wow. A good person has died, and Mayor Mary sends out her storm troops to talk about how SHE is the victim. Classy.

Time will tell of these were trumped up charges and Mary's police department and judge smeared a man tp to help her good friend Thad.
And when that day comes she will have to answer for it.

7:17 quit drinking. Read your post.

I did not know Mark Mayfield personally, but I DO know that suicide is ALWAYS an extremely selfish choice to make.

It appears that Mr. Mayfield made some very poor choices regarding the incident of Rose Cochran's picture being taken and briefly posted online. Unfortunately, the negative legal and financial consequences of those poor choices by Mr. Mayfield are NOTHING in comparison with the emotional pain that his wife and children will now face as a result of his suicide.

Mrs. Mayfield and her children will be in my prayers.

"Wow. A good person has died, and Mayor Mary sends out her storm troops to talk about how SHE is the victim. Classy." June 27, 2014 at 7:14 PM

Excuse me, Miss Amy Vanderbilt, but who made YOU 'The Arbiter of Classy'?

Repeated slurs against Mary were made, before any of her "Goons" and "Storm Troopers" entered the fray.

I'd imagine, though, that if teeshirts were available, bearing the words MARY'S GOONS or MARY'S STORM TROOPERS, a majority of Madison's residents would wear them with pride. Me, I'd be HONORED to bear such a title. Fact is, she doesn't NEED to "send out" anyone. We've got her back. She represents OUR interests.

A lot of these anti-Mary posts seem to be from one bitter old man. I'm thinking this particular one hasn't seen his own feet - or other 'parts', for decades. He can see his feet in a full-length mirror. not the other 'parts', though. They've sort of receded. He consoles himself by going around in cheap suits and using awkward English at public assemblies.

His last name is surely associated with a famous country-style witch. Not the Blair Witch. another one like that, though.

No matter how you slice it, using a SWATT team to arrest Mark is a blatant abuse of power. Excessive force was absolutely used in Mark's arrest. My family has been a victim of Madison's abusive and aggressive law enforcement. Until you, your child or your family experiences this type of abuse personally, you will never fully grasp the mental impact it can cause. Especially when you are innocent of the charges.

Sad someone had to die from an election. Sorry for Mr. Mayfield's family. Before we place blame on Madison PD and the mayor. How about never committing the act at all. Whether he did this or not, his name came up somewhere. The MBI was also investigating. Never read where they could be responsible too. Last I saw, Mary never went and arrested Mr. Mayfield personally. Is she the police chief.? Do they inform her of every arrest made? The only people to blame is the people involved in the first place. This photo incident should have never happened.

Kingfish, if there was ever a good time to require people to post under their real name, this would be it.

7:59. This why normal people detest you Tea Party Nazi nuts. The SWAT not SWATT DA team was never used. Good Lord.

7:14 pm I haven't spoken with Madison mayor in over 20 years.
I do have the degrees necessary to recognize paranoia when I see it.
Please get help.

The CL blog post by Sam Hall quotes a Ms Bruce who refers to the arrest group of law enforcement as a six member SWAT team. To a woman, six police with special gear is a "SWAT team". It is excessive regardless of the technical term. To a male citizen that number of policemen signifies raw state power.

Prayers and love and respect for Mark's family. I learned many lessons from Mark, just from casual political association. He was the definition of a 'class act' in all his endeavors. His family must be absolutely devastated. I pray that God will help us hold our tongues from anything which will be in any way further hurtful to those who loved him. Help us honor his memory and act in a way which conforms with the high standards he always showed.

The Republican insiders should encourage the DA to reduce the charges and take the politics out of the Cochran nursing home case.

This is such a tragic situation. I personally knew Mark, and he was a fine man. I am saddened at the ridiculous comments on both sides of the aisle on this blog. All this man was doing was trying to help another person prove that Cochran had an affair, and had left his wife at St. Catherine's. All of this is over, and now we see a life ruined and a family in mourning. So sad.

Wishing the best to the family, friends and colleagues of a very fine man. He was exceptional.

If you look at it realistically, the criminal charges against him were ridiculous. So sad.

He should have considered the welfare of his clients before he got mixed up in all of this.

Jesus, KF. Shut this down. The man is dead. Let his family mourn in some semblance of privacy, and allow the crows to feast later.

My prayers go out to Ruth Mayfield and her sons.------The Madison P.D.,Queen Mary,M.E Waldrop,Vicki whoever on the Mad. P.D. who termed the photographs of Sen. Cochran's wife in the nursing home "Priceless",the Madison P.D. Swat team,Dale Danks,and any other person in a position of power in the city of Madison,you are partly to blame for this exercise of abusive power in the way this man was arrested and charged. I wouldn't trust any of you any further than I can spit.

He died defending his "country" and the "constitution". To resore America to the " principles which it was founded" Mission accomplished. 1 down 3 to go.

A likely scenario to consider.

Mark was pulled in on charges to give some seriousness to the ordeal. One sweaty guy filming does not a good election scandal make.....

An extremely sad situation. My thoughts and prayers go out to the family. I have not posted any comment up to this point, but with all the garbage being thrown around here, I suppose there is no harm.

Hard to imagine this would have taken place if there was not some guilt regarding the scandal. I hope the courts will accurately determine whether or not that is the case. If there was no guilt, it seems he would have been eager for his day in court in order to clear his name. No idea how much emotional stock he had in this election, but perhaps throwing away a reputation and a career and then losing the election was too much.

Regarding the tea party, I was originally under the impression you guys were all about personal responsibility. However,this campaign has revealed many of the fold are no different than the extreme left, seeking to blame everything on someone else and not take responsibility for anything. It also seems many have become extremely fanatical. Some seem to be fanatics over the cause, some seem to be consumed with McDaniel himself. I urge you to take a step back and reevaluate your current states of mind. Things are obviously out of hand.

@6:31 am

Having your reputation shredded, whether or not the charges are true, are enough to ruin your life. He was wealthy due to a large inheritance, and didn't have to work, but enjoyed it. Losing his biggest clients due to the trumped up, overblown charges killed his soul. The only guilt he felt was for opening up his family to crap such as yours.

The man's crime was supposedly telling her room number. I hope the folks that orchestrated his overblown charges and public ambush by a group of police are happy with themselves. May he RIP.

This string of comments is just sick. It takes a rare level of callousness and heartlessness to use a person's suicide as a means to advance your political agenda. I didn't know Mr. Mayfield, but I do know he left behind as victims a family as well as many friends who didn't ask for their lives to be turned upside-down by these horrible circumstances. Have some respect, people.

Professionals don't get themselves involved in something like this, overblown or not. There is absolutely no excuse for what he did - even if he JUST gave out a room number.

Kind of sad seeing all the Republican leadership, who never condemned the low-grade political prosecution of Mark Mayfield, now offering condolences. I assume they remain politically motivated in doing so. They have no capacity for shame.

@9:01 ^^^^ Wow. You must be so perfect yourself to inject supposition into something you know nothing about. Your mama must be so proud.

where there's smoke, there's usually fire. innocent lawyers don't commit suicide. they see themselves cleared of wrongdoing.

The desperation of the Cochran camp to win at all costs shows to what lengths a political machine will go. Mark Mayfield did absolutely nothing wrong, but was ensnared in a dirty, lowdown political scheme by the powers that be. This charge hung over his head for weeks, and he was unable to speak out about it because of a gag order. How would you feel if you read and heard your own name associated with this sleaziness for every hour of every day? The charges were trumped up for political gain, pure and simple.

To those compassionate, intelligent and just individuals who have upheld our notion of innocent until proven guilty, thank you.

I have yet to see a scrap of evidence against Mark Mayfield, and although photographing Rose Cochran was crass, I defy anyone to substantiate his involvement. The City of Madison has a moral obligation to try Mr. Mayfield in absentia and finally exonerate him. Their evidence was non-existent, his involvement with those who committed the crime was non-existent, and the guilt by association that he endured was solely a result of Madison’s decision to indict him with others. Slander is a murderous crime.

Mr. Mayfield had many, many friends and colleagues who thought highly of him. Reputations like his are earned over a lifetime, and that should count for far more than an episode of slander. It should, but what happens when an innocent person is faced with the prospect of enduring a bloodthirsty court of public opinion, a bureaucratic witch-hunt, and a merciless, baseless prosecution by the City of Madison? I can’t imagine the hopelessness and disgrace he must have felt, and I hope that no one here ever has to endure that same injustice.

What if he was not innocent, though. What do you say then?

What if he was inncocent, though? What do you say then?

A good man destroyed at someone's whim, and for political gain.

First and foremost, your assumption should be that he was innocent until proven guilty. And he has in no way been proven guilty.

Second, now that confidentiality is out the window, the facts are beginning to emerge. His involvement appears to have been refusing to be involved.

Third, it is a confusing situation to anyone wanting answers. But the implication of guilt by harsh treatment is never an answer. Rather, it is a problem that lies squarely at the feet of the prosecution and the City—never, never at the feet of the innocent.

His non-client call logs will answer the question, once and for all.

I'm shutting down comments on this thread.

I let things go on as they did because I know Mark's apparent suicide upset many people and frankly, they just needed a place to vent.

Mark was a friend of mine. We've broken bread at lunch and breakfast many a time. He's been a strong supporter of this website and was respected by many.

Having said that, I've covered enough stories to not be surprised by much anymore. This one shocked me. However, I will say that I dont' know if he was guilty or innocent, if the charges were bogus or deserved. No one has presented any evidence. All we know, and I do mean all we know, is that he was arrested and some testimony that took place in the courtroom. Period.

We haven't seen anything. As this was a conspiracy charge and there are other defendants, we will probably see the evidence that would have been used against Mark. If we don't, this website will work to get said evidence. If Mark is innocent, then we will lead the charge in proclaiming his innocence. If he got stupid, well, that's all we have to say. The day will come when we will learn the strength of the case. Today is not that day.

Mark will be missed. I'd be lying if I said this didn't affect me. Why, Mark, why? You didn't have to do this. Many cared about you. You know that. You know you had supporters. We all make mistakes and yes, at times we get stupid. I hope you found whatever peace you sought.

Mark was witty, sincere, and rarely had a mean thing to say about anyone. There is hurt, anger, outrage, horror, and just plain shock.

Pray for his family. Pray for his children. I don't know what else to write. He was a friend and it breaks my heart writing this column, reporting his death, even just thinking about it. He meant a great deal to many people.

He will be missed.