I found a link to a news report here:
http://www.krcg.com/news/news_detail.asp?story_number=9815
Cole County Sheriff George Brooks Dead
1/11/2005, Cole County
He took office eleven days ago, but this evening, Cole County Sheriff George Brooks is dead. Brooks' wife found his body just after three this afternoon inside their home in Cole County. The Highway Patrol is investigating, but at this point it looks to be a suicide.
Sheriff Brooks was just sworn in at the first of the year. A former investigator for the Missouri Department of Corrections, Brooks worked in county law enforcement for more than two decades. He rose through the ranks to become Sheriff John Hemeyer's chief deputy. When Hemeyer stepped down from office last spring, the Cole County commission appointed Brooks to fill out the term. In November, voters elected Brooks to a four-year term as sheriff. We'll have more details on this story as they become available.
"He took office eleven days ago, but this evening, Cole County Sheriff George Brooks is dead. Brooks' wife found his body just after three this afternoon inside their home in Cole County. The Highway Patrol is investigating, but at this point it looks to be a suicide."