Teaching Assistant Involved In Sex Crimes Investigation Found Dead Tuesday

On Tuesday, Oklahoma City police said the man found dead inside an Oklahoma City home was under investigation for having sex with a student. He took his own life Tuesday afternoon.

Police identify the teaching assistant Leo Edmiral Mackie, 43. Putnam City Schools confirmed he was also an assistant coach of the boys basketball team at Putnam City North High School.

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An arrest warrant filed Tuesday shows Mackie was under investigation for first degree rape after a 16-year-old student at the school told police they had been having a consensual, sexual relationship.

The warrant reveals the teenager had transferred to a dropout prevention program at the Rockwell campus of Francis Tuttle Technology center that was still under the Putnam City school district.

She told officers the intimate relationship began on Halloween and lasted through New Year Eve and that the two had sex at least 10 times around Lake Hefner and nearby parks. Police say Mackie was aware of the investigation.

"The detective on the case did a very thorough investigation and basically the last thing that we needed was a sit down with Mr. Mackie and his attorney," Oklahoma City police spokesman Capt. Paco Balderrama said. "They had refused to do so for quite some time."

Turns out on Monday, the U.S. Marshals were in the neighborhood where Mackie's grandparents lived, looking for a robbery suspect.

Police say when they knocked on the grandparents' door, Mackie spotted them, he barricaded himself inside a room, and then shot himself.

Police had to block of the 5800 block of NW 83rd street for several hours while they secured a search warrant for the home. Once they did they discovered Mackie's body in a back room.

"Our assumption is that Mr. Mackie believed we were there looking for him when in reality we were there looking for an active robbery suspect who has active warrants," Balderrama said.

Steve Lindley, Putnam City school district spokesman, confirmed Mackie was fired on February 1 once they became aware of the criminal investigation by police. Mackie started working at the high school in August 2015.

Lindley said Wednesday the school district focused on the needs of the grieving students at Putnam City North High School, but had no other comment.