COLUMBUS, Ohio – U.S. Rep. Paul Gillmor, who was found dead in his apartment in suburban Washington earlier this week, died of blunt head and neck trauma consistent with a fall down stairs, according to a medical examiner's report released Friday.
The death was certified as an accident, said Lucy Caldwell, a spokeswoman for the Virginia Department of Health, which includes the state's medical examiner's office.
Police have assessed the scene and found no evidence of foul play. The medical examiner's investigation will be finalized once chemical and ancillary tests are complete, Caldwell said.
Aides found Gillmor's body Wednesday at his town house in Arlington, Va., after he failed to show up at the Capitol for morning meetings.
Gillmor, 68, a Republican from a solidly conservative district in northwest Ohio, spent four decades in politics. He was elected to Congress in 1988.
Government leaders in Ohio announced plans Friday for Gillmor to lie in state next week in the Statehouse Rotunda. Gillmor served in the Ohio Senate from 1967-89 and was its president from 1981-83 and 1985-89.
A delegation of about 90 people from Washington is expected for Tuesday's service, said Gregg Dodd, deputy director of the Capitol Square Review and Advisory Board, which coordinates events at the Statehouse.
Only six people, including President Abraham Lincoln, have lain in state in the Rotunda. The last time was in 2001 for four-term Gov. James A. Rhodes.
Others honored with Statehouse services include Presidents James A. Garfield, Rutherford B. Hayes and William McKinley, all Ohioans.
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