Former staffer identified as man who killed himself outside Rep. Beth Van Duyne’s house

Brian Lopez
·2 min read
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

A former staffer has been identified as the man who killed himself outside U.S. Rep. Beth Van Duyne’s Irving home on Wednesday.

Richard Christian “Chris” Dillard, 55, was the communications director for Van Duyne’s campaign from November 2019 to April 2020, according to his LinkedIn profile. Dillard also worked as a Texas State Guard public affairs officer, a political consultant and was active in the Tarrant County Republican Party.

Irving police responded to a shooting call at about 3:45 p.m. Wednesday after Van Duyne heard a gunshot outside and saw a body on her front porch, police said. Dillard was pronounced dead at the scene.

“I am still shocked and grieving that Chris would take his life. We had known each other for years,” Van Duyne said in a statement on Thursday.

Van Duyne said Dillard had been to her home multiple times for get-togethers. The last time she heard from him was through a text in early January, she said.

Investigators found no evidence that Dillard had any mental health history, nor have they found a suicide note, an Irving police spokesperson said in a press conference on Thursday. Investigators also didn’t find any evidence at Dillard’s home.

Police said Dillard possibly got into Van Duyne’s gated neighborhood because he knew people there from previous visits. Officers still don’t know who let him in.

Julie McCarty, CEO of True Texas Project, said in Facebook post that Dillard was “was arguably the most popular activist in the Metroplex and well-beyond.”

Dillard volunteered with True Texas Project, she said.

“I am shocked and devastated by the passing of our good and faithful friend and patriot,” McCarty said. “I know people will make assumptions and think they know what went wrong. I urge you to resist doing that and just celebrate a life well-lived.”

Texas Rep. Matt Krause said in a Facebook post that Dillard was a “consummate activist, volunteering his time in numerous ways for numerous causes.”

“I appreciated Chris because he was not afraid to keep me accountable as an elected official. He would constantly challenge me where he felt I had been out of line,” Krause said.