This Wednesday, Kentucky state representative Dan Johnson was found dead by a bridge in Mount Washington with a "single gunshot wound" to the head, according to Bullitt County Coroner Dave Billings.
According to Billings, the nature of the injury indicates that the lawmaker's death was a "probable suicide", though the results of the autopsy are still pending.
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Kentucky police were searching for Johnson after they were made aware of a troubling, now-deleted Facebook post he had written, in which he addressed the sexual assault allegations that were made against him and said that he "cannot handle it any longer."
"The accusations from NPR are false GOD and only GOD knows the truth, nothing is the way they make it out to be. AMERICA will not survive this type of judge and jury fake news," the post read. "IT Has Won This Life. BUT HEAVEN IS MY HOME."
Earlier this week, the Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting (KyCIR) released an expose on the Republican lawmaker that featured sexual assault accusations by Maranda Richmond, a female friend of Johnson's daughter.
Richmond accused Johnson of forcing himself on her as well as groping her breasts and genitals during a New Years Eve party in 2013, when she was 17 years old.
Following the KyCIR report, the state leaders of the Republican and Democratic parties called on Johnson to resign.
Acting Speaker of the Kentucky House of Representatives David Osborne described the expose as "compelling and deeply troubling."
Speaking to a press conference at his church this Tuesday, Johnson denied the accusations and declared that he will not resign.
"This allegation concerning this lady, this young girl, absolutely has no merit, these are unfounded accusations, totally," Johnson said.
Following his apparent suicide, KyCIR issued a statement, cited by the Washington Post, that the station was "deeply sad" to learn about Johnson's death.
"Our Kentucky Center for Investigative Reporting released a report on Johnson this week. Our aim, as always, is to provide the public with fact-based, unbiased reporting and hold public officials accountable for their actions," the statement read.
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Kentucky's Governor Matt Bevin tweeted that he was "saddened to hear" about the lawmaker's death.
"My heart breaks for his family tonight," Bevin said.
Senator Rand Paul also expressed his condolences to Johnson's family, stating that he "cannot imagine his pain or the heartbreak his family is dealing with."
