Brandon Hixon, former Idaho lawmaker facing sex-abuse inquiry, kills himself

Brandon Hixon, former Idaho lawmaker facing sex-abuse inquiry, kills himself

Jan 10, 2018 7:09 AM EST

BOISE, Idaho -- A former Republican state lawmaker from Idaho who was facing a sexual abuse investigation has shot and killed himself, authorities said Tuesday. Brandon Hixon died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head at his home, the Canyon County Coroner's office told CBS affiliate KBOI.

A family member discovered his body.

Officials have released no details about the criminal investigation into Hixon, 36, except that it was related to possible sexual abuse. Records obtained by The Associated Press show that he was previously the focus of a separate police investigation in 2014 after being accused of inappropriate touching.

At the time, Hixon denied the accusations and told police he was worried they would harm his political career. It's unknown if the new investigation, ongoing since Oct. 5, was connected to the earlier case.

The attorney general's office was overseeing the investigation but declined to comment Tuesday.

Hixon's death comes after Kentucky lawmaker Dan Johnson shot and killed himself last year after a report was published detailing allegations that he sexually assaulted a 17-year-old girl in his basement in 2013. He had denied the accusations.

Hixon was elected in 2012, becoming one of the youngest lawmakers to win a seat in the Idaho House of Representatives. He didn't stand out during his time in the Statehouse until he abruptly resigned in October after the sexual abuse investigation emerged.

"I hope that my efforts have helped improve the lives of my constituents in District 10, as well as all Idahoans," Hixon wrote in his resignation letter. "I will never forget all of my colleagues that I very much enjoyed working side by side with to make Idaho a better place for all."

After stepping down, Hixon was arrested twice for drunken driving and was charged with misdemeanor resisting arrest last month.

Hixon, who got a divorce from his wife in 2016, is survived by his four children, ages 6 to 17.

Across the country, sexual harassment allegations have surfaced in government, entertainment and business, leading to resignations and policy changes. In Idaho, legislative leaders are expected to unveil in the 2018 legislative session new policies for reporting sexual misconduct for lawmakers, lobbyists, staffers and other aides.

Idaho House Speaker Scott Bedke announced Hixon's suicide to lawmakers during Tuesday's floor session. The House chaplain led a prayer.

"We should support those who are close to us when they are struggling," Bedke said. "Please remember Brandon's family in your prayers."

Bedke later said the House will likely organize financial help for Hixon's family but that it was too early to say what exactly was planned.

Other lawmakers also offered condolences.

"I wish I had followed the promptings I received and called with words of kindness and encouragement," Republican state Rep. Bryan Zollinger said in a tweet. "Reminder to us all to love one another despite differences of opinion."

Others said they were shocked by Hixon's death.

"I didn't always agree with Rep. Hixon, but I could work with and talk to him," Democratic state Rep. John McCrostie said in a tweet. "Hope you find some peace, Brandon. Condolences and prayers to his family including his children."

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/brandon-hixon-former-idaho-lawmaker-facing-sex-abuse-inquiry-kills-himself/

Ex-wife says lawmaker who killed himself molested 2 girls, including relative

Jan 11, 2018 7:44 AM EST

BOISE, Idaho -- The former wife of an Idaho Republican state lawmaker who shot and killed himself this week says he was under investigation for molesting two girls, including a young female relative who was abused for more than 10 years. Brandon Hixon died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head at his home, the Canyon County Coroner's office told CBS affiliate KBOI-TV.

Former colleagues at the Idaho Statehouse have offered kind words about Hixon, but his ex-wife Danielle Eirvin Hixon said the suicide robbed her family's hopes of finding justice and closure though the legal system.

She told The Associated Press in an interview Wednesday that she told police about the abuse and that her husband raped and inappropriately touched one of the alleged female victims for about 11 years.

"Brandon made people believe that he was a stand-up, morally correct person," said Hixon, who was married to the former lawmaker for 10 years until their divorce in 2016. "But behind the house walls, he would cheat on me and molested children."

Scott Graf, spokesman for Attorney General Lawrence Wasden, said Wasden's office had no comment on the investigation.

Hixon -- a three-term Republican from Caldwell -- had resigned from the state legislature in October after news emerged that he was the subject of a criminal investigation involving possible sexual abuse, though no details were made public.

His ex-wife said she had been told by investigators not to disclose details about the case until charges were filed against her ex-husband, but that the reason to keep the information confidential ended with his suicide. She said she and two other people had been scheduled to testify before a grand jury Wednesday.

Graf declined comment on whether a grand jury had been scheduled. The attorney general's office took over the investigation after Canyon County Prosecutor Bryan Taylor asked Wasden made that request because of an undisclosed conflict of interest.

"I had no idea it was happening," Danielle Eirvin Hixon said of the alleged abuse, adding that the girl who told her "kept it quiet for so long."

The second alleged victim was not related to the lawmaker, she said, adding that she learned about that girl from the girl's mother.

The AP generally does not name alleged victims of sexual abuse.

Records also show that the former lawmaker was previously the focus of a separate police investigation in 2014 after he was accused of inappropriate touching. He denied the accusations and told police he was worried they would harm his political career. It's unknown if the new investigation, ongoing since Oct. 5, was connected to the earlier case.

Danielle Eirvin Hixon said comments by lawmakers praising her ex-husband's character prompted her to speak up about the abuse allegations. She said she wanted people to know her side of the story.

"I say he was a coward by taking the easy way out," she said of his suicide.

House Speaker Scott Bedke, a Republican, has said the chamber is planning on offering some sort of financial support to the ex-lawmaker's family.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/brandon-hixon-suicide-ex-wife-says-idaho-lawmaker-molested-2-girls/