Tenn. Legislator Kills Self After Indecent Exposure Arrest

NewsMax.com ^ | 6/20/02 | Carl Limbacher and NewsMax.com Staff

[kattracks]

Tennessee State Rep. Keith Westmoreland was found shot to death in at his home late Wednesday, a day after his indecent exposure arrest in Florida last week received national media attention.

Police in Kingsport, Tenn. say Westmoreland's body was found with a gunshot wound to the chest in what appears to be a suicide. Westmoreland left a note but police have so far declined to release its contents.

In a written statement issued Wednesday night, Tenn. Governor Don Sundquist called Westmoreland "an excellent legislator and a good friend who did so much for his constituents and his state."

"He will be greatly missed. My heart breaks for his family and friends," Sundquist added.

Documents filed with a Florida court on Tuesday alleged that Westmoreland had exposed himself by while lounging poolside at the Hilton Hotel in Sandestin, Fla.

He was charged with seven felony counts of lewd and lascivious exhibition to minors under 16.

Original reports suggested Westmoreland had behaved bizarrely during the incident, with Florida authorities issuing a statement accusing him of "allegedly exposing himself to a crowd of people gathered alongside the pool."

Other eyewitnesses "alleged that Westmoreland walked naked among them exposing his sexual organs for more than an hour by poolside, and then again at the hot tub outdoors," police said.

But the account carried Thursday by the Nashville Tennessean suggested the incident was considerably less offensive.

"According to court documents filed Tuesday in the Florida case, three teen-age girls told police they saw the lawmaker's genitals through the leg of his shorts as he sat on the edge of a hot tub and pool smoking a cigar," the paper reported.

"Two of the girls said similar incidents had occurred for three days, but that they did not report the exposures immediately because they thought they were accidental.

"We didn't say anything about it because we didn't want to embarrass him," one of the girls told police in a written statement.

Read more on this subject in related Hot Topics:

Media Bias

[KS Flyover]

http://www.legislature.state.tn.us/house/members/h2.htm

Tennessee House Representative

It is with sadness that the 102nd General Assembly mourns the death of
Representative Westmoreland

---

KEITH WESTMORELAND
R-Kingsport
District 2 - Sullivan County

District Address 3216 Kenridge St. Kingsport, TN 37664 Phone (423) 247-5614 Nashville Address 214 War Memorial Building Nashville, TN 37243-0102 Phone (615) 741-4553 Staff Contact: Phyllis Piercy Internet E-Mail Address rep.keith.westmoreland@legislature.state.tn.us

Biographical Information

• Born August 26, 1946, Kingsport
• Married; two children
• Methodist
• Self employed
• B.S. in Criminal Justice from East Tennessee State University, cum laude
• Attended U.T. Knoxville, Walter State Community College
• Graduate of Tennessee Law Enforcement Training Academy
• Numerous Law Enforcement Certificates of Training
• Co-author of Five Year Plan for Upgrading Law Enforcement in the First Tennessee Region
• Veteran United States Air Force 1964-68
• Tennessee Development District Association Legislator of the Year 1994
• Tennessee Forestry Association Outstanding Legislator 1994
• Human Resource Agencies Award of Merit 1994

Public Office

• House member of the 98th through 101st General Assemblies
• Assistant Republican floor leader 98th General Assembly

Community Involvement

• Member of Fraternal Order of Police, Tennessee Sheriffs Association, United Commercial Travelers, National Rifle Association, Outdoorsman, Inc., Loyal Order of the Moose, Fraternal Order of the Eagles, Kingsport Inter-fraternal Council, Kingsport Visitors Council, Alliance of Business and Training Executive Committee, Kingsport and Bristol Chambers of Commerce, Legislative Committee for Economic Development, Bristol Roundtable for Economic Development, Region I County Executives Association, East Tennessee Tourism Council, National Association of Counties, Integrated Emergency Preparedness Council Steering Committee
• Chairman of Tri-Cities Airport Commission Executive Committee, Tri-County Industrial Park Committee, I-81 and I-26 Now Committee; Sullivan County Long Range Planning Committee; Sullivan County Salary Committee; Sullivan County Industrial Commission
• Member of board of directors of Sullivan County Children's Advocacy Center, First Tennessee Development District, Upper East Tennessee Juvenile Detention Center, Upper East Tennessee Human Development Agency, First Tennessee Human Resource Agency, Tennessee County Services Association, Holston Valley Hospital and Medical Center, Northeast Tennessee Industrial Development Commission
• Member of Criminal Justice Advisory Board of Walters State Community College and East Tennessee State University
• Member of advisory board of Northeast Tennessee Community College, Salvation Army, Local Elected Official and Private Industry Council, Job Training Partnership Act
• Vice president of Tennessee County Executives Association
• Eastman Chemical Company Citizens Advisory Board
• Listed in Who's Who in America 1994
• Kingsport Regional Education Alliance 2000 Advisory Council
• Sullivan County Executive 1986-1990
• Sullivan County Sheriffs Department chief deputy 1976-86
• First Tennessee Development District law enforcement planner 1975-76
• Law enforcement instuctor Walters State Community College 1976-78

[Lancey Howard]

Westmoreland's body was found with a gunshot wound to the chest in what appears to be a suicide.

"...to the chest..."
Okay. Anybody know what percentage of gun-related suicides are shots "to the chest"?

[The KG9 Kid]

When women use firearms to commit suicide, they usually shoot themselves in the chest.

Male narcissists do the same. Seems that the late not-so-honorable representative fit into this category.

Can't remember where I picked this data up, but there you go.

Anyway, this event was posted as 'Breaking News' over 24 hours ago.

[Lancey Howard]

Anyway, this event was posted as 'Breaking News' over 24 hours ago.

Yeah, I posted to that thread.
This story from today has some interesting clarifications, though.
For example:

But the account carried Thursday by the Nashville Tennessean suggested the incident was considerably less offensive.
"According to court documents filed Tuesday in the Florida case, three teen-age girls told police they saw the lawmaker's genitals through the leg of his shorts as he sat on the edge of a hot tub and pool smoking a cigar," the paper reported.

But get this:

"Two of the girls said similar incidents had occurred for three days, but that they did not report the exposures immediately because they thought they were accidental.
"We didn't say anything about it because we didn't want to embarrass him," one of the girls told police in a written statement.

Will somebody kindly explain to me how a state legislator ends up in a hot tub with the same three teenage girls for (at least) three days?

Okay. I think there may be more to come before this mess is ironed out.

[Travis McGee]

Will somebody kindly explain to me how a state legislator ends up in a hot tub with the same three teenage girls for (at least) three days?

Easy. He is scoping out the pool from his room. When cute girls go to the pool, he follows them out in his lining-free trunks. The girls said in another story that when they went from the pool to the hot tub, he followed them over several times on several days, and sat on the side with his legs apart and his _______ hanging out of his trunks while he leered at them. They said he crossed his legs, got in the water or left when adults (witnesses) showed up.

Very creepy. The guy "had issues".

[The KG9 Kid]

I think that they've already cleaned up the mess by now. Case closed.

[Lancey Howard]

By the way, I wonder if law enforcement has gone back and checked out this guy's history from when he was the head coach of the Dallas Cowboys under the name "Jimmy Johnson"?

[leadpenny]

Was that before or after he was in N'Olans under the name of Jimmy Swaggart?

[The Raven]

Interesting....the Knoxville news (radio) reported he was walking around the pool in the buff.

I have my doubts on the "loose shorts" story. That's not a suicide seed.

[2sheep]

What was he about to vote on?  Who would have wanted him dead?  What is his history?  Does anyone know?  It seems very suspicious for someone with his history with Law Enforcement and guns to shoot himself in the chest.

[abclily]

Also, men who are familiar with hunting and guns shoot themselves in the chest when they commit suicide.

[NewsGal]

Will you explain the Jimmy Johnson comment?

[GailA]

He may not have wanted to mess up his face, or splatter the bathroom any more than he had to.

There were two other incidents in March in Nashville. Then there was the fact that the TN Bureau of Investigation (TBI) had been called because it seems he'd been making threatening phone calls to Rep Zane Whitson and his wife. The media reported they were sexual in nature.

The media is being blamed of course for trying him in public especially talk radio. I've read all the news reports, all they did was report the facts, there was NO spin in the TV or print media. Talk radio was a mixed bag, many seminar callers blaming the media for trying him for causing his cowardly suicide.

[Pining_4_TX]

Will you explain the Jimmy Johnson comment?

The guy looks a lot like Jimmy, including the hairdo that wouldn't move in a hurricane.

[Pining_4_TX]

By all accounts, he was a real stand-up guy.

[jraven]

They wanted him to resign but he wanted to stick it out for one more year.

[steve50]

Big battle over a state income tax in Tenn. Been going on for a few months and it seems to close to call

[montag813]

Looking at his long list of distinguished achievements over his lifetime fills me with sadness. What a pathetic waste of life over such a trivial incident.

[Travis McGee]

Look, it really sounds like he was a serial flasher with his own MO: teenage girls in pools and hot tubs. This is not an invention. Now it's sad that he took his life, but middle aged men following teenage girls to hotel pools and hot tubs and hanging their privates out as they leer at them is not a "trivial matter".

If you were staying at a hotel and your teenage daughter reported that some creep was following her and hanging his privates out at her in the pool and jacuzzi, would you consider it "trivial" or report it?