WLBT reports that Irby's caretaker found him hanging in his home at about 8 p.m. Police do not suspect foul play.
Irby, whose family founded Stuart C. Irby Co., an electrical company, was plagued in the last few years by a series of scandals and legal troubles. In 2009, he and his wife, Karen Irby, were involved in a head-on collision that killed two doctors. Karen Irby, who was driving intoxicated, was sentenced to 18 years in prison for manslaughter, but former Gov. Haley Barbour granted her conditional clemency last week as one of more than 200 executive orders he handed out at the end of his term. She was released under house arrest Jan. 14, but the Associated Press reported she was not at the home where Stuart Irby's body was found.
After the 2009 crash, Stuart Irby's doctors said he had suffered brain damage and had no memory of the event. Hinds County Judge Tomie Green said at the time that "this court does believe that Stuart Irby had a hand on that wheel that night." Irby later settled a $60 million lawsuit filed in connection with the crash. The Irbys later filed for divorce.
Last year, Stuart Irby was charged with cyberstalking a minor, but the charges were dismissed due to Irby's brain injury, the AP reported. A psychiatrist said Irby did not have the mental capacity to tell right from wrong.
More like this story
More stories by this author
Support our reporting -- Follow the MFP.
