Summary

Arkansas authorities have closed their investigations into last summer’s shooting of Arkansas’ Democratic Party chairman. Chairman Bill Gwatney died Aug. 13 after being shot three times by Timothy Dale Johnson who had been fired from his job at a Target store that morning. Johnson was chased by police and eventually shot six times and killed after threatening officers. Police report said Johnson was on an antidepressant and that the drug may have played a part in his “irrational and violent behavior.” A police report offered no explanation as to why Johnson shot and killed Gwatney. Gwatney owned three General Motors car dealerships and was a state senator for 10 years before becoming the state’s Democratic chairman last year. -- Later Report -- Little Rock and State Police release hundreds of pages on their investigation into the murder of Bill Gwatney. He was the chair of the Democratic Party, shot and killed in his office, in August.But one thing missing from the police reports-- a motive.There’s newly released dash cam video from Arkansas State Police. It shows officers following Johnson’s truck through three counties. The report shows Johnson had weapons on him, and when the chase ended in Sheridan, officers eventually shot and killed Johnson.Police say they still don't know why Johnson took Gwatney's life and then fled."We wish that we could tell the family exactly why it happened. Our thoughts and prayers go out to them, but we really don't have a clear reason for them,” says Lt. Terry Hastings with the Little Rock Police Department.State police interviewed Johnson’s sister, who said she worried her brother was suicidal but never thought he'd hurt anyone. She also said Johnson had never brought up Gwatney's name.Gwatney file released -- mystery remainsState Police and Little Rock police released investigative files in the Aug. 13 slaying of car dealer Bill Gwatney and the police chase and shooting of the man who killed him, Timothy Dale Johnson of Searcy.Bottom line: Nobody has a clue why Johnson killed Gwatney.UPDATE: A statement from his sister, Janice Peacock of Sheridan, provides the fullest story yet of the killer, a man with emotional and money problems, but nothing extraordinary by way of political leanings. He was a likely Obama supporter, she said. He was an outdoorsman. Liked to cook and target shoot.The LRPD released a file of more than 900 pages.The State Police release of more than 300 pages came with video of the stop and shooting of Johnson, as well as statements from officers.A letter from the Grant County Prosecutor says officers were justified in shooting Johnson when he got out of his wrecked pickup with a drawn gun. There was, however, some discrepancy in officers' accounts. Some said he had a gun pulled. The official summary said he had a hadgun in his waistband but appeared to be reaching in his truck for a rifle. Johnson was struck six times by police fire.The Little Rock files reveal little about the motivation of Johnson in calling on the state Democratic Party headquarters and asking to see Gwatney, then shooting the popular state Democratic Party chair three times. Gwatney just happened to be visiting the office when Johnson stopped by. Johnson was a night clerk in a retail store who lived alone in his late parents' house in Searcy. Apart from a fascination with weaponry and rifle target shooting, little has emerged about Johnson.As previously indicated, the file says Johnson had taken a prescription anti-depressant. Said the police report after a reference to studies in which "suicide or homicide was a violent reaction to the drug": "According to medical records and autopsy report, Mr. Johnson was prescribed Effexor and was found to have it in his system upon his death. There is a strong possibility with the research done that Effexor could have played a part in the irrational and violent behavior."That's a stab in the dark, though and the question lingers, why Gwatney as a source of rage, whatever the trigger?The investigation came up empty. Car keys on a Gwatney dealership ring at Johnson's house were just keys to an old car. A co-worker at the Conway Target said she once talked to Johnson about buying a car from Gwatney. Nothing was found at Johnson's home related to Bill Gwatney. A sticky note with the name Gwatney and a phone number found at the home was to a long disconnected number for a Gwatney towing service.An inspection of Johnson's personal computer by FBI experts turned up nothing. He visited only a handful of routine websites, including eBay and wunderground, with weather information.No solid hint of politics turned up at any turn, though a member of the Gwatney family speculated at one point to police that White County politics might have motivated Johnson.Johnson's relatives could offer no insight. A sister said he normally voted Democratic.Shortly before he met Gwatney, Johnson told a Democratic Party worker that he was from White County and wanted to talk to Gwatney about White County, but nothing he said subsequently -- or anything said by those interviewed by police -- gave a clue to any specific issue that might have been on Johnson's mind.Websites visited by Johnson: yahoo, novell.com, google, wikipedia, todaysthv, mistral.com (sportswear sales), lemistral.com (a French bed and breakfast), atf, us.f807.mail.yahoo.com/ym/login (a mail account), rover.ebay.com (a bidding accounty), wunderground.Said the FBI: "Based on this examination amd review, it has been determined that no data exists which is relevant to this examination."