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Man Who Accused Ex-Seattle Mayor of Sex Abuse Found Dead

Police say Delvonn Heckard was found when officers responded to reports of an apparent drug overdose.

A man who effectively ended former Seattle Mayor Ed Murray’s career with sexual abuse allegations last year was found dead in a motel on Friday. Delvonn R. Heckard, 47, died in the Seattle suburb of Auburn, though the official cause of death has not yet been determined, the King County Medical Examiner’s Office said Friday. Auburn Assistant Police Chief Bill Pierson said officers responded to reports of an apparent drug overdose at the hotel, adding that they found “some type of medication in the room, as well as some illicit drug paraphernalia.” Heckard was open about his struggles with drug addiction last spring when he accused Murray of repeatedly paying him for sex as a teenager. Those allegations, which Murray has denied, prompted other accusers to allege sexual abuse against the then-mayor, leading to his resignation in September. Heckard had recently received a $100,000 payout as part of a settlement with the city in his lawsuit against Murray.