Far-right extremist at centre of 2017 Charlottesville march ‘dies days before fentanyl-trafficking trial’

A far-right Missouri man who featured prominently during the 2017 Charlottesville white supremacist rally has reportedly died by suicide ahead of a trial in which he stood accused of drug trafficking.

Teddy Joseph Von Nukem, 35, took his own life after skipping the first day of his criminal trial for a drug trafficking charge in Arizona on 30 January. He died in his hometown of Missouri as a federal judge was issuing a warrant for his arrest, The Daily Beast reported, citing court documents and an autopsy report.

Suicide notes left for law enforcement and his children were found at the scene, according to the coroner’s report, which also stated that the handwriting on the notes “was somewhat inconsistent”.

Von Nukem, a Lebanon native, gained notoriety after he attended the August 2017 white supremacist rally that was aimed at reviving a nationalist movement in the US during the Donald Trump years.

He was photographed wearing a black shirt, with his mouth open and holding a tiki torch in hand while marching at the front of the protest against the removal of confederate statues.

The rally was organised by a nexus of alt-right, neo-Nazi, and pro-confederate groups. A Black man, DeAndre Harris, was beaten after the rally and later charged with assault and then acquitted in an incident that had made national headlines.

“The rally was not a racist rally. It was a rally to save our history,” Von Nukem had earlier told the Springfield News-Leader.

He added that he supported then-president Donald Trump, but was not associated with the far-right groups that organised the rally.

“I don’t mind showing solidarity with them,” he said, adding he believed white people faced disadvantages in modern times.

“If we don’t play, we will be the field trampled by the players. You have to pick your side. You have to throw your support behind the army that is fighting for you.”

Unrelated to his participation in the notorious march, he faced federal drug charges for allegedly attempting to cross from Mexico to the US at the port of entry in Lukeville, Arizona, with 14 packages of concealed contraband, according to a 2021 indictment. The packages contained 15kg of fentanyl, it said.

Von Nukem admitted to smuggling the substance into the US but denied knowing the drugs contained fentanyl, the Springfield News-Leader reported. He allegedly told investigators he was paid approximately $215 to smuggle the drug.

He was charged with drug trafficking and sent to trial.

An obituary reportedly said: “Some people knew Ted and understood he was a different type of fellow and had different views of things.”

He is survived by a wife and five children aged under nine.

If you are experiencing feelings of distress, or are struggling to cope, you can speak to the Samaritans, in confidence, on 116 123 (UK and ROI), email jo@samaritans.org, or visit the Samaritans website to find details of your nearest branch.If you are based in the USA, and you or someone you know needs mental health assistance right now, call the National Suicide Prevention Helpline on 1-800-273-TALK (8255). This is a free, confidential crisis hotline that is available to everyone 24 hours a day, seven days a week.If you are in another country, you can go to www.befrienders.org to find a helpline near you.