Death of Campaign Theft Suspect Investigated as Suicide

The campaign treasurer for a state Assembly candidate was found dead in a Bakersfield motel room, an open container of sleeping pills nearby, in what investigators said Thursday was being investigated as a suicide amid suspicions that he had embezzled thousands of dollars in political funds.

He was identified as Marshall Decter, 59, of Valencia, treasurer of the Democratic Club of the Santa Clarita Valley and also for David Cochran, Democratic candidate for the 36th Assembly District seat representing the Antelope Valley and parts of the Santa Clarita area.

Cochran said $1,000--nearly all of his campaign funds--has been missing since Monday, when Decter was last heard from. The Democratic Club’s president, Roberta Gillis, said $3,000 is missing from its $4,000 treasury.

Before the body was found, Cochran told sheriff’s deputies he suspected Decter stole the funds, but deputies said they wanted more details before accepting a formal theft report.

Gillis said Thursday that Decter, who had a series of professional and personal setbacks, had told her at least twice: “Don’t be surprised if one day I commit suicide.”

Jim Malouf, chief investigator for the Kern County coroner, said there were no signs of a struggle when Decter’s body was discovered Wednesday, but an open packet of over-the-counter sleeping capsules and at least two nearly empty 10-milliliter containers of insulin were found nearby. Decter was a diabetic, friends said.

Malouf said that an autopsy Wednesday did not reveal the cause of death and that a toxicology test will be performed.

Though only a few sleeping pills were missing from the packet, Malouf said Decter could have taken earlier doses and disposed of the packaging elsewhere. Shock from an overdose of insulin also could have caused the death, he said.

Decter checked into the motel Monday and paid for two nights. His body was discovered by an employee who checked to see why he had not left after his paid stay.

Gillis said the Democratic Club was forced to freeze its account last week when financial records showed that Decter had written unauthorized checks to himself.

She said Decter had lost his $50,000-a-year executive post at a savings and loan in 1993 and had a $5-an-hour part-time job.

“I’m inclined to believe that any of the money removed was just out of need,” Cochran said.

The job was part time and offered Decter no health insurance coverage for his diabetes and glaucoma, Gillis said.

She said that in sympathy for Decter, she delayed contacting police about the lost funds and instead scheduled a meeting with him Monday.

But he never showed up.

“Mr. Decter was not a thief,” she said. “He took the money because desperate people do desperate things.”