Springfield mayor found dead in his home

UPDATE Wednesday, December 15, 2010: After conducting an autopsy Wednesday, the Sangamon County Corner's Office confirmed that Springfield Mayor Tim Davlin died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest.

Springfield Mayor Tim Davlin died today from a reportedly self-inflicted gunshot wound. However, police have not publicly confirmed the cause of his death.

Police received a 911 call from Davlin’s home shortly before 9 a.m. this morning. According to Springfield Police Chief Rob Williams, Davlin was “unresponsive” when police arrived and did not respond to resuscitation attempts. He failed to show up this morning at a court-ordered appearance regarding a relative's estate for which he was executor. An autopsy is scheduled for tomorrow.

“Because of the unique nature—Mr. Davlin being my boss—we then called for an assist from an outside agency, and we have now turned over the entire investigation to the Illinois State Police,” Williams said at a Springfield news conference.

Davlin had been mayor of Springfield since April 2003. He announced in November that he did not intend to run for a third term in March. The Springfield State-Journal Register reported in October the IRS placed a lien on his home over nearly $90,000 the agency says Davlin owed in unpaid taxes.

“Today’s news of the death of Mayor Tim Davlin is truly a tragedy. Tim was a great public servant who loved Springfield and its people. The city of Springfield is a better place because of his leadership. As Mayor, Tim led the community through some of its most difficult times and worked hard to revitalize the city. He was not only a champion for Springfield, but also for the entire state, and he will be greatly missed by all who knew him. My thoughts and prayers are with the Davlin family during this most difficult time,” Gov. Pat Quinn said in a written statement.

From the City Of Springfield’s Davlin memorial page:

Mayor Davlin will probably best be remembered by one of his most successful programs, Springfield Green, a city wide environmental improvement program which not only promotes planting trees, flowers and greenery, but also stimulates cleanliness through an Adopt-a-Street program.

Alderman Frank Kunz, who is mayor pro tem, has taken over Davlin’s duties.