Mich. lawmaker found dead hours after drunk driving arrest
LANSING, Mich. -- A state representative from Michigan's Upper Peninsula has been found dead hours after he was released from jail on what appeared to be his second drunken driving arrest in less than two years.
Police say John Kivela's body was found about 1 p.m. Tuesday at a Lansing home and that there are no obvious indications of foul play.
Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder told reporters that Kivela "apparently took his own life," CBS affiliate WLNS reports.
Lansing Police told WLNS it will take an autopsy before before they rule on a manner of death.
Arrest records show Kivela, a 47-year-old Democrat, was arrested Monday with a blood-alcohol level of more than .17, which qualified him for stricter penalties under the "super drunk" law, WLNS reports.
Clinton County Sheriff Lawrence Jerue said Kivela was released Tuesday on bond.
Kivela pleaded guilty in December 2015 to drunken driving after his arrest the previous month in Clinton County.
Tributes to Kivela poured in from both sides of the aisle as word of his death spread.
Kivela was in his third and final term representing Michigan's 109th House District, which includes Alger, Luce, and Schoolcraft counties and part of Marquette County. He had recently announced plans to run for the State Senate, WLNS reports.
