Washougal update: Case ruled a murder-suicide; suspect dead

Posted in Related Deaths

12-10-2011 Washington:

Deputies said Saturday the Washougal house fire and gunfire-filled standoff has been ruled a murder-suicide and that homeowner and suspect Steven Stanbary is believed dead.

The Clark County Sheriff’s Office issued a release saying the heavily burned remains of at least two people have not been positively identified, but it’s believed Stanbary is one of them.

“Based upon the totality of information known to detectives at this time, investigators believe strongly that Steve Stanbary is the suspect and this his remains have likely been recovered,” the press release said.

Investigators believe Stanbury is dead because of circumstantial evidence and identifying items found close to the body. Physical evidence and video also show that Stanbary was found in one portion of the residence, while other remains were found on the opposite side of the house, said Clark County sheriff’s Sgt. Kevin Allais.

One of Bernhard Goetz's victims kills self on anniversary of subway shoot

12-23-2010 New York:

Exactly 27 years to the day after Bernhard Goetz — famous in New York lore as the “Subway Vigilante’’ — shot four young men he thought were threatening him on a train, one of them killed himself by swallowing prescription pills in a low-rent Bronx motel, authorities said.

James Ramseur, 45, was found dead of an apparent overdose at 11:30 a.m. yesterday at the Paradise Hotel at 2990 Boston Road, law-enforcement sources said last night.

He was in bed and fully clothed.

Ramseur had checked in Tuesday and paid for two nights. He was supposed to check out yesterday morning.

When he failed to show up at the front desk, hotel staff went to his room and discovered his body.

In the toilet was the bottle that had contained the pills that apparently killed him.

But Ramseur had scraped the label off so the pills could not be identified, and toxicology tests will take at least a month.

Ramseur had an ID card on him, so he was identified immediately.

No suicide note was found and there were no wounds on the body.

Police believe he had spent the entire time in the hotel alone. They knew of no visitors.

Cops called Ramseur’s sister, and she confirmed his identity and his role in the storied 1984 shooting incident.

Ramseur had gotten out of prison only 17 months ago, after serving 25 years upstate for raping a young woman on a Bronx rooftop.

The shooting took place on Dec. 22, 1984, when Ramseur, 18, and neighborhood pals Darrell Cabey, Barry Allen and Troy Canty, all 19, were riding a downtown No. 2 train.

As it approached Chambers Street, they encountered Goetz, an electronics specialist. What ensued is in dispute.

Goetz told authorities the intimidating youths demanded $5 from him. The teens insisted they were only panhandling.

Goetz fired five shots from his Smith & Wesson, hitting all of them.

Ramseur was wounded in the arm.

Many residents of the city, which was then undergoing an unprecedented era of street crime, hailed him as a hero.

But since the four youths were black, others called him a racist.

He was convicted of illegally possessing a loaded firearm, but cleared of the more serious charges — four counts of attempted murder.

Cabey, who was paralyzed when Goetz shot him at close range, won a $43 million lawsuit. Goetz declared bankruptcy and hasn’t paid a dime.

Cabey, by far the most seriously injured, still is confined to a wheelchair and functions with the intellect of an 8-year-old.

Allen was convicted of robbery in 1991 and released from prison four years later.

Canty racked up a string of petty offenses and once served 18 months in a residential drug- treatment program. ..Source.. by JOSH SAUL

Inmate with suicide history poisons self and dies

8-11-2009 Wisconsin:

A 41-year-old Milwaukee man who had a history of trying to commit suicide by drinking cleaning fluids died last month, two days after he drank rubbing alcohol at the Milwaukee Secure Detention Facility, where he was incarcerated and worked as a janitor.

Officials at the detention facility were aware of Myron Christopher Weston's suicidal history when he volunteered to work as a janitor, a job he began in April, said John Dipko, spokesman for the state Department of Corrections.

Weston was "showing positive adjustment during his time (at the Secure Detention Facility) and preparing for his release into the community," Dipko wrote in an e-mail.

Weston's death has been ruled a suicide, according to a Milwaukee County medical examiner's report.

An autopsy determined Weston died of acute isopropyl alcohol intoxication.

Weston, who suffered from schizoaffective disorder and was taking six medications, reported on the day he was admitted to the facility in January that he had tried to kill himself about six times by drinking cleaning fluids and taking pills, the report says.

None of the previous suicide attempts occurred at the detention facility or any other state-run prison, Dipko said.

It was not clear Tuesday where or when the other suicide attempts took place. A woman who answered Tuesday at a phone number listed to Weston's mother declined to comment.

The Milwaukee County district attorney's office is investigating Weston's death, which is standard procedure whenever a person dies while in custody, District Attorney John T. Chisholm said.

Investigators have found no signs of foul play and are focusing on whether any procedural or communications changes should be implemented, Chisholm said.

An internal review of Weston's death also is under way, Dipko said.

Weston was admitted to the detention facility on Jan. 7 because of a probation violation and was scheduled to be released Sept. 21, Dipko said.

Weston was unresponsive, in shock and suffering from liver failure when he was rushed to Aurora Sinai Medical Center the morning of July 26, according to the medical examiner's report.

He was placed on a ventilator but died July 28.

Weston may have become depressed after his girlfriend broke up with him over the phone July 18 and blocked her phone number from receiving his calls, according to the report.

According to online court records, Weston's criminal history included convictions for theft and substantial battery, both felonies, and having sex with a child who was between the ages of 16 and 18, a misdemeanor.

Weston's mother told investigators she did not think her son tried to commit suicide because he was looking forward to being released, according to the medical examiner's report. ..Source.. by Ryan Haggerty of the Journal Sentinel

Suspect in child sex case commits suicide

12-21-2011 Illinois:

A former Will County mental health counselor killed himself a day before he was expected to plead guilty and be sentenced Wednesday for arranging to have sex with a person he thought was a 13-year-old girl, authorities said.

When John Martynus, 40, of Plainfield was arrested outside a restaurant in Crete last December, he allegedly told police repeatedly that his life was over, according to court records.

Police have records of his sexually explicit online chats with the fictional 13-year-old girl -- who was actually a Crete police officer -- as well as sexually explicit chats with others on his iPhone, records show.

Martynus, who had no prior criminal record in Will County, faced up to five years in prison but likely would have received probation and been required to register as a sex offender. He worked for 10 years as a youth mental health counselor for the county health department before leaving the job in March.

The online chats started last December, according to records. He was arrested two days later.

Soon after, a judge denied his request to leave the state to take his wife on a cruise for her birthday. She was listed in court documents as a possible witness for prosecutors.

Martynus was found deceased by his wife at their Plainfield home Tuesday, said Kendall County deputy coroner Jacquie Purcell. ..Source.. by Steve Schmadeke Tribune reporter

Accused molester commits suicide

12-17-2011 Massachusetts:

The former Annisquam man and Big Brother volunteer charged with molesting a 13-year-old boy is dead — having committed suicide Thursday at his Central Masachusetts home.

Lt. Kathy Auld, Gloucester's chief of detectives, confirmed Friday that Frederick Lyman, 64, had taken his own life.

Lyman, who once served on Gloucester's Historic Commission but had since moved to New Salem, faced charges of five counts of forcible child rape involving incidents both in Gloucester and elsewhere with a boy he was mentoring through the Big Brother program.

If convicted on a forcible rape charge, Lyman would have faced life in prison.

Sources close to the case said Friday that Lyman — who was facing a new court hearing on Monday — committed suicide in his house, though neither Auld nor Gloucester Detective Jeremiah Nicastro, who handled the Lyman case, would confirm that for the record.

The Northwestern Massachusetts District Attorney's office, which is based in Northampton and covers the New Salem area, declined to comment on this story

Lyman, initially charged in Gloucester District Court, was indicted on the rape charges in October and arraigned in Salem Superior Court on Nov. 15. He had been out on $100,000 cash bail awaiting a pretrial hearing on Jan. 23.

But his bail agreement, Nicastro said Friday, required him not to leave the state. And detectives had evidence that Lyman violated that at least twice, he said.

Nicastro said Lyman was up for a hearing on potential bail revocation, through Salem Superior Court had not yet scheduled one.

Massachusetts State Police arrested Lyman at his home in New Salem in September following Nicastro's two-month investigation into the child rape allegations. The charges stemmed from five separate alleged sexual offenses involving the same boy between 2005 and 2007, and beginning when the boy was 13.

At least some of the incidents occurred in Gloucester, and one on trip to Chicago, according to police.

"I feel sad for (Lyman's) two children," Nicastro said Friday. "But I'm glad the victim doesn't have to go through the stress of a trial." ..Source.. by Steven Fletcher Staff Writer

Man facing 20 years for child porn found dead in jail

12-15-2011 California:

A Schertz man pleaded guilty Thursday to child pornography charges, but sentencing was canceled for another child-porn defendant from San Antonio because he killed himself in a federal jail.

Both men, Larry Joe King Sr. and Matthew Phillip Lehr, were investigated by the FBI in separate cases.

Lehr, 44, pleaded guilty Oct. 13 to distributing child pornography and was awaiting sentencing when guards found him about 2 a.m. Monday in his cell at the Central Texas Detention Facility in downtown San Antonio, authorities said.

That jail is run on a contract by Florida-based The GEO Group, which did not respond to calls seeking comment Thursday.

He had hung himself with a bed sheet and had slit his wrists, the U.S. Marshals Service confirmed.

“He was not on any suicide watch,” said Supervisory Deputy U.S. Marshal Preston Browning. “Attempts were made by the jail staff there to resuscitate him, but it was too late.”

Earlier this year, the FBI found more than 100,000 images on Lehr's computers after searching his Northeast Side home. Lehr told agents he was addicted to child porn and that he sought out teenage boys for sex. He was not charged with anything beyond accessing peer-to-peer networks for child porn.

Larry Joe King Sr., 63, of Schertz, meanwhile, pleaded guilty to distributing child porn. The FBI raided his home Feb. 23, 2010. A forensic examination of his computer hard drives turned up 273 images and 56 videos of child porn.

He faces up to 20 years in prison when Chief U.S. District Judge Fred Biery sentences him Feb. 24. ..Source.. by Guillermo Contreras

Wanted Man Staying at Friend's House Dies During Stand-off

12-12-2011 Virginia:

Martinsville, VA -- The search for a sex offender led to a standoff in Martinsville Tuesday morning and ended with the suspect's death.

Investigators responded to a house on Drewry Road in Martinsville to look for Steven Ray Bishop, 40, Tuesday morning. When they arrived, they say Bishop shot himself.

Bishop was wanted by the Virginia State Police and Patrick County Sheriff's Office for failure to register as a sex offender and failure to appear on drug distribution charges.

US Marshals, along with the Henry County Sheriff's Office and the Virginia State Police Tactical Team, searched Bishop's mobile home in Bassett. According to US Marshals, Bishop was not at the home, but they discovered an active meth lab.

They learned Bishop was at his friend's house on Drewry Road. A friend of Bishop's said that Bishop came to the house Monday to fix her daughter's car. He then spent the night, and Tuesday morning heard a knock on the door from the Police. His friend says he ran into the bedroom and shot himself, saying he would rather be dead than in jail.

Neighbors say it was all pretty chaotic.

"I woke up about 7:30 this morning hearing gunshots, but I thought I was dreaming, but it really was true. Then the police was in front of my yard and everybody was drawing guns," said Chris Barbour, a neighbor of Bishop's friend.

Bishop died at the scene. ..Source.. by Heather Rosenbaum

Standoff ends with suicide

12-5-2011 Ohio:

HIGHLANDTOWN - A man about to face charges of gross sexual imposition chose to end his own life following a standoff Saturday at his Steubenville Pike home.

According to Sheriff Ray Stone, it is believed Howard McNeal shot himself at the same time law enforcement officers were breaking into his home with a battering ram. His death ended a standoff in which an armed McNeal along with two dogs kept officers away for more than five hours.

The incident began early Saturday when McNeal's wife came home shortly after 10 a.m. and reportedly found McNeal, 58, involved in a sexual act with a 3-year-old granddaughter. The grandmother grabbed the child and ran from the home. On her way to take the child to Salem Community Hospital for treatment, McNeal's wife found an Ohio Highway Patrol trooper handling a crash on nearby state Route 518. She then reported what she had seen at her home.

The trooper contacted the county Sheriff's Department. At about 10:15 a.m. a deputy and a trooper went to the door at 15469 Steubenville Pike, where McNeal reportedly met the two men holding a handgun.

Stone said at that point, the county Special Response Team (SRT) team was called to the house, along with additional deputies and troopers. An officer from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources in the area also assisted. Assistant Prosecutor John Gamble was called to have a warrant created based on probable cause being established. The warrant was for a third-degree felony gross sexual imposition, a charge based on the child being less than 13-years-old.

One deputy spoke with McNeal on the telephone throughout part of the day, and it was hoped he would give himself up. But eventually, he began calling relatives to say his farewells. Stone said McNeal had already served time for a 1985 sexual battery case in another state, possibly Florida.

"He didn't want to go back to jail," Stone said.

In attempts to try to get him out, deputies used distractive explosives, rammed the door and when it they got the door open, shot tear gas into the house. However, McNeal's body was found inside.

The house also caught fire, which Stone said could have been from the tear gas canisters. The Highlandtown Fire Department, which was already waiting in the area, was assisted by West Point Fire Department and Franklin Township firefighters to put out the fire.

Information about the extent of the damage to the home was not available Saturday night. ..Source.. by DEANNE JOHNSON, Staff Writer

Lodi man guilty of sex charges commits suicide

12-5-2011 Ohio:

LAFAYETTE TWP. — A Lodi man found guilty of three counts of gross sexual impo­sition committed suicide before he could be sentenced.

Linton Auble, 70, of 574 LaVista West, was found hanging from a tree at his property at 6866 Spencer Lake Road on Sept. 21, Lt. Travis Colonius of the Medina County Sheriff’s Office said.

Auble was free on $150,000 bail at the time of his death, according to court records, and was scheduled to be sen­tenced last Thursday.

“There was apparently no foul play. All of the indicators are consistent with a suicide,” Colonius said.

He said Auble left a note to his wife, who found his body, and his children, at their LaV­ista West home.

“There was a note and a videotape he left for his wife and family. It said that he loved everyone very much, that was the general senti­ment,” Colonius said.

The lieutenant said neither the note nor the tape men­tioned the crimes Auble was found guilty of on Aug. 9.

Auble, charged with three counts of gross sexual impo­sition, changed his plea that day from not guilty to no con­test. The charges carry a max­imum penalty of five years in prison.

The case involved two vic­tims that were 8 years old at the time of the crimes in the fall of 2003, according to court records. ..Source.. by Lisa Hlavinka

Teacher accused of sex act with minor found dead in pond

12-3-2011 Ohio:

CELINA — A Marion Local Elementary School teacher arrested Friday for sexual imposition of a minor apparently committed suicide early Saturday, the Mercer County sheriff’s office said.

Paul Mizer, 56, of Maria Stein, had been distraught over his misdemeanor arrest, which involved an incident that didn’t occur on school property or during school hours. He was found dead about 10:30 a.m. Saturday in the pond at the Maria Stein Spiritual Center, 2365 St. John’s Road.

Mizer was brought to the Mercer County Adult Detention Facility and was booked in, but was later released when his wife, Penny, posted bond. The sheriff’s office said it received a call from Penny Mizer stating that Mizer had left the house between 4:30 a.m. and 5 a.m. ..Source.. by Staff Report

Exclusive: Mother Of Murdered Union Woman Speaks

Posted in related deaths

7-28-2011 South Carolina:

UNION, SC -- July 28th Update 5:30 p.m. The mother of a woman who police said was killed by her ex-boyfriend spoke exclusively with 7 On Your Side, and she said there were warning signs the man wanted to hurt her daughter.

Over 100 people gathered Wednesday night at Foster Park in Union to remember 21-year-old Rosemary Lee with a candlelight vigil, speeches, and songs.

Police said 34-year-old Kerry Devon Brown shot and killed Lee Tuesday afternoon and then took his own life.

Brenda Davis said her daughter, Rosemary Lee, was pregnant and had a young daughter who left the park before the shooting.

"When he shot my daughter to death I stood and I watched and there's nothing in this world I could do to get to her and all I could hear my baby say was mamma", said Davis.

Houston-area coach found dead after student sex allegations

12-2-2011 Texas:

BRAZORIA COUNTY — One day after learning he was being investigated for allegedly sexually assaulting a minor, a football coach from Clear Creek High School was found dead.

Chad Hunt's body was found Wednesday morning in his car in Brazoria County. Investigators said it appears he committed suicide.

The Clear Creek Independent School District said Hunt had been placed on administrative leave with pay Tuesday pending the outcome of the investigation.

According to League City police, the case surrounded a possible inappropriate relationship between Hunt and a female student.

Hunt was a track and football coach at Clear Creek High School. He had been with the district for five years.

School officials said a team of counselors would be on hand Thursday morning and throughout the day to talk to students and staff.

Some students who knew Hunt couldn't believe the turn of events.

"Just not to see him in school again is going to be hard," said Jose Gonzalez.

Parents called the allegations against Hunt disturbing.

"It just makes you think you can't trust anybody," said Sandy Ledford. "You just never know what's going on in their minds." ..Source.. by RUCKS RUSSELL

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Students saddened to hear of Clear Creek Coach’s death

HOUSTON—Clear Creek High School was awash in sadness Thursday as students tried to understand the suicide of a coach and the circumstances that led to it.

League City police were looking into allegations of an improper relationship between Chad Hunt, a 42-year-old football and track coach, and a female student. Then on Wednesday Hunt was found dead in his car. He apparently committed suicide in Brazoria County, just a day after learning about the investigation. Police said they have suspended their investigation since his death.

Students plastered cards and letters on Hunt’s classroom door Thursday afternoon.

Students, parents and community members were shocked and saddened after hearing about Hunt’s death and the allegations against him.

“Just not to see him in school again is going to be hard,” said Clear Creek student Jose Gonzalez.

“It just makes you think you can’t trust anybody,” said parent Sandy Ledford. “You just never know what’s going on in their minds.”

But others defended Hunt, saying he was a great coach and family man who will be sorely missed in their community.

School officials made grief counselors available for students and staff at Clear Creek High Thursday.

Hunt had been with CCISD for five years. ..Source.. by KHOU.com

Police discover child pornography at home of teacher who committed suicide

12-2-2011 Connecticut:

In a shocking twist to the case, the investigation into the suicide of a music teacher at Eastern Middle School has led to the discovery of child pornography in his home.

Chief of Police James Heavey issued a brief statement Wednesday evening stating that a detective investigating the Nov. 9 suicide of Steven Allen, 57, discovered the material in a storage bin. The material was described as printed photographs from a computer that were “sexually explicit in nature” and that “many appeared to be child pornography.” An investigation into the photos has been launched and the FBI has been contacted to provide technical assistance. The investigation is expected to take several weeks to complete.

Chief Heavey stressed that it does not appear that local children are in any of the photographs or that Mr. Allen produced the material himself. The source of the material appears to be from the Internet and Chief Heavey noted that the sites that create this content are often located in foreign countries.

“It is the intention of the Greenwich Police Department to determine Mr. Allen’s level of involvement in this activity, identify and assist all possible victims and confirm that none of the victims are local residents,” Chief Heavey said.

No further information about the case is being released at this time.

Mr. Allen died of a self inflicted gunshot wound and his body was discovered in his Cos Cob apartment on Nov. 9 after colleagues became concerned when he did not come to work. He was a music teacher in the district for 11 years and had been in education for more than 30. Police have said that Mr. Allen’s declining health could have been a factor in his suicide.

At the time of his death he was both a music teacher and orchestra director for Eastern Middle School and had been credited for building the school’s thriving program. The news of his death was met by warm remembrances of a friend and teacher so this new development has left many in the community shocked.

Guidance counselors will be on hand at both Eastern and Greenwich High School to meet with any current or former students of Mr. Allen should they have an concerns or questions. Staff and families will also be able to meet with the counselors if needed.

On Wednesday, Interim Superintendent of Schools Roger Lulow released a statement saying, “We are both surprised and distressed at this news. We are surprised because there had been no indication or suspicion that Mr. Allen was involved in any activity of this nature, nor have there been any complaints or accusations regarding his behavior. We are distressed because we do not condone or tolerate this behavior in anyone, much less a member of our staff. A review of Mr. Allen’s personnel file and the background check, including fingerprinting, conducted at the time of his hire reveal no reports, accusations or suspicions of inappropriate behavior nor any criminal record.”

Dr. Lulow added that the district was “relieved” that the police have not found any evidence that any of the victims were local. The district said it is cooperating with the police investigation and urged anyone with concerns or information to contact the police department. ..Source.. by Ken Borsuk, Staff Reporter