Remains Of Ohio Teen Missing For 13 Years Found In Rapist’s Home

Posted in Related Deaths

2002 Ohio:

Police are saying that the skeleton of a fourteen-year-old Ohio runaway that has been missing since 1999 has been discovered after the home where she was last seen was demolished.

The Lima News reported that Lima police on Saturday stated that the remains of Nicholle Coppler were discovered in a crawl space while the home’s foundation was being dug out. Allen County Coroner Gary Beasley stated that they were identified from her dental records.

Glen Fryer, who owned the home, was a suspect in Coppler’s death. The newspaper reported that he was 55 when he committed suicide in 2002 while waiting for his sentencing for raping a girl.

The state took possession and demolished the home because of unpaid taxes. Coppler’s remains were the only ones discovered.

Sex offender facing arrest kills himself

1-24-2002 Texas

A convicted sex offender shot himself to death Wednesday when Houston police went to his Kingwood home to arrest him on outstanding warrants.

Timothy Huffman, 54, never said anything to the police but pointed his gun at one officer before killing himself, said homicide investigator Brian Harris.

The incident occurred about 2:40 p.m. in the 3100 block of Royal Crescent. No officers fired their guns, police said.

Police had been investigating reports of a man fondling himself in front of children at a Kingwood area apartment complex three weeks ago, Harris said.

Officers combed the files of registered sex offenders in the area and focused on Huffman as a possible suspect. Officers then discovered he had an open arrest warrant for parole violation and another one for failure to register as a sex offender, Harris said.

Huffman was on parole on a 30-year sentence in 1985 for aggravated rape, police said. He registered as a sex offender in January 2001, but failed to renew that registration in October, resulting in the arrest warrant, Harris said.

One officer was stationed at Huffman's front door and another at the back. They knocked, but no one answered.

Huffman then walked out the back door and pointed a pistol at the officer, Harris said. After the officer took cover, Huffman walked onto the back porch and shot himself in the head. He died instantly.

The house was filthy inside and had no running water, police said. Investigators also discovered letters Huffman had written complaining how unfairly sex offenders are treated in Harris County, Harris said. ..more.. by PEGGY O'HARE

Another inmate dies at Sacramento County jail

8-3-2002 California:

SACRAMENTO – A convicted child molester apparently committed suicide Thursday in Sacramento County jail by overdosing on psychiatric medication.

The death was the second in two days at the jail and potentially the seventh suicide so far this year. Sheriff’s Department officials vowed to take action to stop the death toll.

“I don’t think it can get any worse,” Sheriff Lou Blanas said. “We need to find the answer.”

Sheriff’s officials said they believe the inmate died by suicide, but they are awaiting final toxicology reports that may indicate he died of natural causes.

However, officials believe 44-year-old Steven Mitchell Griffin had been hoarding drugs he had been prescribed, apparently planning his death for some time. Officials found 36 pills hidden under his mattress, suggesting he had saved the eight pills he received daily or bought some from other inmates.

Griffin also wrote four suicide notes saying goodbye to his mother and others, authorities said.

He was convicted recently on charges of molesting two small children and was facing a court date today where he could have been sentenced to spend the rest of his life in prison.

Another high-profile inmate suicide at the jail involved accused multiple murderer Nikolay Soltys, who hanged himself in his jail cell earlier this year despite being under electronic surveillance.

Blanas asked the county Thursday to give him control of medical staff at the jail who now report to the county coroner. He said he also plans to hire two consultants to evaluate all procedures at the jail.

But officials say they may only be able to do so much to stop the epidemic of suicides at the jail, which some deputies have begun to refer to as “the morgue.”

“The sophistication of the inmates may have become such that they simply can devise ways to overcome our efforts to prevent suicides,” Undersheriff John McGinness said.

Officials have already tried to stop hangings – used in six of the suicides this year – by altering the bunks in the jail. ..more.. by Associated Press