‘No signs of foul play’ in death of Brookhaven official’s wife

The wife of a Brookhaven city official was found dead of a gunshot wound Wednesday night and a police spokesman said the agency is treating the death “as a personal family matter at this time with no criminal implications.”

About 5 p.m. Wednesday, Brookhaven police officers responding to a medical call on Hunters Brook Court found 59-year-old Doris Beardsley dead of an apparent gunshot wound, spokesman Carlos Nino said Thursday afternoon in an emailed statement to Channel 2 Action News.

“(At) this time,” he said, “there are no signs of foul play.”

Pat Bailey, chief investigator with the DeKalb Medical Examiner’s office, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution that his office was investigating the death, and has not yet determined what led to the shooting.

Beardsley's husband, Jed Beardsley, is a member of Brookhaven's Zoning Board of Appeals. He is also a member of the Historic Brookhaven Foundation and the Historic Brookhaven Neighborhood Association, according to the city's website.

Gov. Nathan Deal in August 2012 appointed Jed Beardsley to the Governor's Commission on Brookhaven, which was "to facilitate the provision of community services and facilities, the collection of taxes and fees, and the negotiation of intergovernmental agreements in preparation of the establishment of the new city."