Teddy Joseph Von Nukem was facing multiple charges related to his alleged role in attempting to smuggle fifteen kilograms of fentanyl into the U.S. from Mexico.
One of the demonstrators carrying a tiki torch with neo-Nazis and white supremacists at the deadly Unite the Right rally in 2017 took his own life on the day his federal drug-trafficking trial was to start, according to reports.
Teddy Joseph Von Nukem, 35, was set to begin his first day of trial for drug trafficking on Jan. 30. Instead he was found outside his home where he killed himself, according to the Daily Beast.
Von Nukem reportedly left suicide notes on the scene for his children and law enforcement, though the coroner said some of the handwriting was inconsistent, the Daily Beast reported.
The news of his death was first broken by Molly Conger, an independent journalist, in a Twitter thread that went viral on Tuesday.
“The man in the center [Von Nukem] was elated to see himself on the cover of papers across the county. today, i can tell you he is dead,” Conger reported.
Von Nukem was facing multiple charges for allegedly attempting to smuggle fifteen kilograms of fentanyl into the U.S. from Mexico. Due to his death, the court has dismissed his case, according to court documents.
The Missouri man, originally named Teddy Landrum, changed his name to recognize his German heritage when he was in high school, the Daily Mail reported. He also paid tribute to video-game character, Duke Nukem, said the news site.
The obituary of Von Nukem said he is leaving behind a wife, four daughters, and a son.
