Former Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan’s ex-aide Roy McGrath, who has been on the run for three weeks, died after he was apprehended Monday by law enforcement in Knoxville, Tennessee.
McGrath’s lawyer, Joseph Murtha, said he received a gunshot wound and later died of the injury, according to NBC News. The FBI said an “agent-involved shooting” was under review but gave no further details.
“The FBI has confirmed that Roy succumbed to the injuries inflicted earlier in the evening. It is a tragic ending to three weeks of uncertainty,” Murtha told CNN. “I think it is important to stress that Roy never waivered about his innocence.”
The manhunt for McGrath began after he skipped court and was not found after a welfare check was performed at his Naples, Florida, home.
“We’re concerned that something may have happened,” an FBI agent said in a recording obtained by The Baltimore Banner. “He doesn’t have any kind of violent criminal past, but we are concerned he may have committed suicide at this point.”
McGrath’s attorney, Joseph Murtha, said he was concerned about his client and unsure of what was happening.
“I haven’t a clue. I didn’t see this coming,” Murtha said after his client went missing. “This behavior is so out of the ordinary for him. Obviously his personal safety is a concern.”
McGrath, 53, resigned as Hogan’s chief of staff in 2020 after he was accused of fraudulently securing a severance package of $233,648, equal to a year’s salary, from his prior job leading the Maryland Environmental Service.
McGrath pleaded not guilty to federal wire fraud and theft charges. State charges accuse him of illegally recording private conversations with senior officials. If convicted, McGrath could face decades in prison.
McGrath has a long history working with Hogan, who once described McGrath as a “trusted adviser” and key to helping him build his administration after winning the Maryland governor’s race in 2014, according to The Washington Post.
Hogan, who could be called as a witness in the McGrath case, denies approving McGrath’s large severance. Murtha said McGrath “firmly stands by the fact that Governor Hogan formally approved of his compensation from Maryland Environmental Service, and sadly, turned his back on Mr. McGrath to avoid the political fall out of his decision.”
The FBI and U.S. Marshals Service had offered $10,000 each for information leading to McGrath’s capture.