Missing Gay Rights Activist Found In Landfill After Reported Homicide

A gay rights activist's body has been found in a landfill in Florida, sixty miles east of the Alabama border.

According to the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office, Jorge Diaz-Johnston was last seen alive on January 3. Shortly after a missing person's alert was issued, his body was located in a trash pile in a landfill in Baker, Florida.

Diaz-Johnston, 54, had been instrumental in legalizing same-sex marriage in Florida less than a decade ago.

The former Mayor of Miami, Manny Diaz, was the brother of the late activist. On Twitter, he said that his brother was "such a special gift to this world."

"I am profoundly appreciative of the outpouring of support shown to me, my brother-in-law Don, and my family after the loss of my brother, Jorge Diaz-Johnston," he tweeted. "My brother was such a special gift to this world whose heart and legacy will continue to live on for generations to come."

"I am also so very grateful to the Tallahassee Police Department- with the support of Mayor Daley and City Manager Reed- who have worked tirelessly to locate and investigate the circumstances surrounding my brother's disappearance," he continued.

"Their commitment has meant the world to my family and will continue to mean the world in our search for justice," he concluded. "We ask for privacy and continued prayers."

Manny Diaz served as the Mayor of Miami from 2001 to 2009. In 2014, Diaz-Johnston had made headlines when he and his husband, Don, and five other same-sex couples, sued the Miami-Dade County clerk's office after they tried to prevent their marriage.

At the time, Diaz-Johnston had told NBC Miami, "For us, it's not just only a question of love and wanting to express our love and have the benefits that everyone else has in the state, but it’s an issue of equality, and it’s a civil rights issue."

On Facebook, Don Diaz-Johnson mourned his late husband, asking supporters to "please share the news with everyone you can."

"There are just no words for the loss of my beloved husband Jorge Isaias Diaz-Johnston," he began. "I can't stop crying as I try and write this."

"But he meant so much to all of you as he did to me," he continued. "So I am fighting through the tears to share with you our loss of him."

"Funeral arrangements will be announced later," he added. "Services will be held for the family only in Miami but there will likely be a virtual platform for all of you as well."

"This is all so sudden. So please be patient with us," he added.

"I just couldn't wait any longer to share with you our profound loss," he went on. "Please share the news with everyone you can. He touched so many people with his kind and generous heart. It seems impossible to even fathom how to tell them all."

"But if you want to help, that is how you can," he concluded. "By sharing the best of him with each other. God bless you all."

On his Facebook post, many fans reached out to express their condolences.

"I'm so saddened by this; so sorry for your loss dear Don," one person wrote. "Sending all the love and prayers during this difficult time. May Jorge Rest In Peace."

"I am so sorry to hear of your loss," another added. "Every photo of you both showed your love and happiness. Wishing you peace and comfort for your aching heart."

"So sorry to hear this Don!" another wrote. "I could tell you loved each other very much. Hold onto your memories. Praying for you!"

"I’m so sorry for your loss," another added. "Jorge Isaias Diaz-Johnston was such a sweet man. He went to St Brendan’s High School with me and I spoke with him a couple of times a few years ago. I’m in shock and truly saddened by this tragedy. RIP Jorge. You will be greatly missed."