Get it while it's hot; the next big scandal in the murdered-pretty-blonde cycle before it hits the national circuit.  

Flamboyant Mobile, Ala. county commissioner and Republican party leader Steve Nodine has been named as a person of interest in the investigation of his mistress Angela Downs’ death. The news has been titillating, ubiquitous and unsurprising.

Mobile is steeped in corruption and blood. A look at its history reveals subterfuge and iniquity dating back to almost the beginning of its 300-year life. Think “Chicago” with fresher seafood.

There’s U.S. Congressman Frank Boykin who represented the area for 28 years. He founded a political dynasty and was eventually convicted on racketeering charges.

Three decades ago, a city commissioner and two municipal employees went to prison for a ticket-skimming operation at the city’s largest concert arena. They were merely the ones caught because plenty of other paws had been in that cookie jar over the previous decades.

A circuit court judge was accused of taking sexual liberties with prisoners over a period of years. Forensic testimony – semen specimens found in his office carpet – verified testimony from inmates. The judge was tried and remarkably acquitted but not without questionable behavior from the presiding bench. He’s now running for office against one of his accusers, a long-time state senator with major clout.

Our last sheriff was caught taking money from the jail food fund and depositing it in personal accounts. He admitted as much, was convicted but then was given a sweetheart deal wherein he took a huge payout and retired early. He was allowed to keep his $60,000 annual state pension. 

Our last school board president ran over a child while driving drunk then left the scene. He hit another motorist driving under the influence on a separate occasion. He was allowed to serve his meager sentence in piecemeal fashion, a weekend at a time in a quiet municipal jail.

One of our assistant district attorneys was caught with child porn on his computer last year. He stepped down and it hasn’t been heard about since.

Then there are the stories over to the left of this blog entry, the string of bloody tales filed as the Petal Blight and Root Rot series. Look inside. You’ll find powerful and socially prominent attorney Foster Hale shot to death in his downtown office by his long-time mistress and near-concubine Willie Mae Hancock. Willie Mae escaped from jail, never did real time and ended up on top again.

Mobile Register Editor Henry Ewald was set-up by a conspiracy between corrupted officials and cops after he led a campaign against organized crime. His enemies exploited his fondness for sexual exploration for extortion purposes. One of Ewald’s enemies was “Black” Bart Chamberlain, a public servant-turned-racketeer-turned-war hero-turned-oil tycoon-turned-federal fugitive.

Oscar Driver was the first mayor of the Mobile suburb Saraland and was murdered in his front yard in a case that had bootlegging and KKK links. That one is unsolved.

Newspaper editor Arch McKay was killed by shotgun in broad daylight on the city’s busiest boulevard yet there were no witnesses. The story had ties to the ticket-scalping scandal at the auditorium, illegal gambling, the Dixie Mafia and the JFK assassination.

There’s fast food kingpin and hotshot Paul Leverett who hired a hit man to knock off his long-suffering wife, then became part of a well-kept political secret with shades of Old South privilege and plantations.

Now we have another death and another sense that something may go wrong in the aftermath.

Nodine was already under investigation since illegal drugs were discovered in his county-issued truck six months ago.The marijuana and prescription meds were found in a pill bottle bearing Nodine’s name but the official claimed he was set up by political opponents.

The kid glove treatment he received from law enforcement then was certainly not the result of enemies. A perception of special rules for certain privileged citizens ribboned through public sentiment.

Now it turns out Nodine had a long-running relationship with this 45-year-old divorced realtor in a neighboring beach town, despite Nodine’s wife and young son. Had he not run on a platform of “conservative values,” this would mean less.

Being witnessed at the scene of this woman’s death, even the rumor that he was with her for a good part of the day, on Mother’s Day of all times, only twists the knife.

As usual, rumors abound. The city is on edge as new developments have rolled out a few times a day for the last three days. Needless to say, with the overriding tension of the Gulf oil spill, it has the town wired.

What’s known? The pair were romantically involved for the previous five years. His truck was seen at her house around the time of the fatal gunshot. He changed clothes before arriving at a bar a bit later where he sat for a few hours.

Meanwhile an APB was issued for the commissioner. Nodine’s lawyer met him at the bar and they left to go to talk to law enforcement. Investigators say Nodine was aloof and confused during the interview, that he repeatedly excused himself to go to the bathroom.

Downs’ friends, relatives and neighbors made it obvious they didn’t like Nodine. She had tired of his excuses for remaining married and broke things off a few months ago. It was said there was an incident when Nodine discovered Downs at the beach a few weeks ago, that a confrontation ensued with not only verbal but physical abuse.

Friends and family claim Downs expressed fear of Nodine.

She died of a gunshot wound to the head. Her body was discovered in the driveway, a gun near her. Authorities have said she had a gun permit. Some have noted a 2006 Downs overdose as evidence of instability. Her ex-husband and other family told investigators the overdose was an accident. 

Another rumor has surfaced that Downs discovered Nodine cleaning her gun recently but it seems a bit convenient and thus far unverified.

While results haven’t been released yet, an autopsy was performed the day after the incident. Curiously, officials have taken pains not to label the case a suicide or murder yet. One would assume a suicide would have left sufficient evidence on the gun, her head and hand to determine so. So then why the hesitation? Mere caution for a high profile case?

One thing’s for sure, if Nancy Grace or Dateline gets a look at Angela Downs’ photo, this will go straight to the front of the titillation queue. It certainly has around here.

photo/al.com 

Angela Downs

What do I think about this? Well, I know Nodine but not well. He’s friends with a businessman I know, a fellow who has a sketchy past himself involving bookmaking and hard time for tax evasion. Nodine used to hang out at his buddy’s establishment, appearing as if his chief preoccupation was leering at the underaged female employees.

Nodine’s behavior is hardly low key. He likes being seen, has been described as obnoxious. He lets his warts hang out there for all to see and his relationship with Downs was an open secret.

I know he has displayed no reluctance to give interviews if he’s been drinking. I know because I conducted them and have heard others say the same.

I know that my wife and I have seen him in a bar accompanied only by his son and in a seeming state of inebriation. My wife was disgusted at the apparent scenario of the man driving his child around while under the influence.

I’ve seen the games he plays with media, how he works the populace and the press. The things I hear from colleagues show a man who gains power from sowing discord, from whisper campaigns and enhanced mistrust. 

There are plenty of locals with bad feelings. Detractors aren’t quiet in a town this small. Still, there’s no crime in being merely loathsome. We’re talking about murder here.

But Nodine’s behavior seems suspicious. At the very least, it looks as if he saw her body and did nothing, choosing to save his own hide. No 911 call. Nothing.

Except change his clothes. And talk to his lawyer. 

We don’t have a white Bronco in this one, but will a red county-issued F-150 pick-up truck suffice? It’s still in custody.

Last night, the Nodine camp let it “leak” that he admitted himself to the psych ward of a local hospital, complaining of mental issues. Their story continued that he had been on pain medications for some time due to problems with his hip and back and had developed a dependency. They said his behavior had grown so erratic, others had begged him to seek treatment.

Insanity plea anyone?