Democrat Mayor’s Ex-Fiance Commits Suicide

A Florida mayor’s former fiancé was found dead Thursday in an apparent suicide, just five months after he was accused of attacking the politician during a violent confrontation over their failed relationship.

Daniel Curran, 35, was discovered outside an apartment complex in Fort Lauderdale shortly after 9 a.m. Thursday, police told the Tampa Bay Times. The tragic discovery came on Curran’s 35th birthday and just one day after he and Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis appeared in court.

Curran had briefly been engaged to Trantalis, 72, last year. The Fort Lauderdale mayor issued a brief statement expressing grief over the death.

“He was a loving individual, and my sympathies go out to his family,” the mayor said. “Perhaps now, the pain he endured will subside. May he rest in peace.”

Trantalis, a Democrat, began dating Curran in March 2025, and the pair became engaged by July. But the relationship unraveled quickly, with Trantalis filing for a domestic violence injunction in September.

According to court records, Curran allegedly violated that injunction on Nov. 1 by showing up at the mayor’s home despite the order remaining in effect until Dec. 3.

Daniel Curran (Broward County Sheriff’s Office)

What followed was a physical altercation in which Curran allegedly shoved Trantalis before dragging him roughly 15 feet across the street, leaving the mayor with injuries to his wrist, leg, and knee.

Curran was arrested days later after allegedly returning to Trantalis’ home again. He was charged with battery on a person 65 or older, contempt of court, and violating an injunction.

In court filings, Trantalis accused Curran of repeatedly flying into rages, throwing objects, brandishing knives, and overturning furniture while attempting to force him out of his own home.

The mayor also said he initially believed “there was some way to rehabilitate” his younger fiancé “by trying to reconnect,” but said that hope vanished after the alleged assault.

Trantalis further stated he attempted to “steer [Curran] into counseling and mental health treatment” even after the relationship deteriorated, according to court papers.

Curran and his elderly lover, Trantalis

A judge ultimately granted the mayor’s request for a no-contact order.

After posting $6,000 bond following his arrest, Curran reportedly rushed out of jail and maintained his devotion to Trantalis, saying, “No matter what. I always have and will love him.”

Just one day before his death, the former couple appeared in civil court, where Trantalis told a judge that Curran no longer posed a threat. The judge agreed to modify the no-contact order to permit limited interactions, according to Local10.

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