Suspected child molester died by hanging in East Bay jail

6-24-2016 California:

MARTINEZ — An inmate at the Contra Costa County jail in Martinez who died in a shower has been identified as suspected child molester Alexander Legaspi, authorities said Friday.

Legaspi, 57, of Bay Point, was found unconscious in a shower of the Martinez Detention Facility with a bed sheet tied to the shower frame Thursday. Legaspi was originally arrested July 6, 2015 on suspicion of 15 counts of child molestation.

A deputy found him about 7:15 a.m. after being notified by another inmate, spokesman Jimmy Lee said Thursday Medical staff responded. The deputy gave Legaspi CPR, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.

An autopsy was conducted Friday morning and the cause of his death was deemed to be by hanging, authorities said. Per county protocol, the Contra Costa District Attorney’s Office is investigating the death, along with the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office. ..Source.. by Angela Ruggiero

Accused Attleboro child molester dead in apparent suicide

8-16-16 Massachusetts:

ATTLEBORO — Police confirmed an accused child molester was found dead Tuesday morning of an apparent suicide, the day after he was arraigned in Attleboro District Court.

The body of Selvin Perez, 42, of 140 South Main St. in Attleboro, was found by a woman around 8:30 a.m. in a parking lot behind the Gardner Terrace apartment complex off Pine Street.

Police Chief Kyle Heagney said Perez died from knife wounds, and left a suicide note. Heagney declined to comment on the details of the note.

Perez was released from court Monday afternoon after he was arraigned on charges he groped the 5-year-old daughter of a man who invited him over for beers at his South Main Street home last Friday.

Sex Offender Commits ‘Suicide By Semi Truck’ Days Before Starting Jail Sentence

Dec 2016 New York:

He was set to begin a six-month jail sentence.

The identity of a man who killed himself by walking in front of a moving tractor trailer has been revealed as 25-year-old ___ III, a convicted level 2 sex offender.

The incident happened back on November 29th, when ___ of Clay, New York exited his vehicle and jumped in front of a semi truck on an Interstate 90 off-ramp in Salina, New York.

Back in 2015, ___ was arrested for possession of child pornography when investigators discovered more than 2,000 illegal images on his computer and phone.

___ initially turned down a plea bargain for 1-3 years in prison. He was later found guilty of 82 counts of child pornography possession and one count of child pornography promotion.

No place to be sick: When jail cell becomes a death chamber

12-14-16 Washington:

Olympia makes no effort to regulate Washington’s jails, the state’s psychiatric hospitals of last resort

Jimi Johnson had been bouncing between the emergency room and jail for months before he was booked for the final time.

At 27, Johnson’s schizophrenia was feeding him hallucinations that only grew worse inside his Shelton jail cell. He downplayed them in a last letter to his grandmother – the voices, he wrote from solitary, were “not that BAD!!” Then, on April 23, 2013, he strangled himself with a bedsheet looped over his Mason County Jail bunk.

Two years later, it happened again.

Like Johnson, 31-year-old Brandon Dahl found himself locked up alone after a string of strange, minor crimes. Having been badly beaten during a purported “attitude adjustment” delivered by other inmates, Dahl tried suicide on Sept. 15, 2015.

Male teacher and ‘husband’ accused of sexual contact with gay teens found dead

Documents death of Matthew Deyo (another post documents Aric Babbitt death)

9-16-16 Minnesota:

A homosexual elementary school teacher, who was "married" to another man, killed himself and his "husband" in an apparent murder-suicide after the two were allegedly caught having inappropriate contact with students, according to Dakota County court documents.

Forty-year-old Aric Babbitt and 36-year-old Matthew Deyo were under investigation for regularly taking adolescent boys on overnight trips, specifically boys who identified as possibly gay, with parental approval, even though the men were openly homosexual.

According to court records, Babbitt assured parents that he was "mentoring" their children, and when questioned about inappropriate gifts he gave them, such as underwear and skimpy yoga shorts, Babbitt told the parents that they wouldn't understand because "It's a gay thing."

Inmate, accused of sex crimes, dies in the Harnett County jail

12-21-16 North Carolina:

LILLINGTON A Harnett County inmate awaiting trial on felony sex charges was found dead in his cell on Tuesday morning.

Charles Robert Johnson, 53, was discovered unresponsive during Harnett County Detention Center cell checks at about 6:07 a.m., according to a sheriff’s office release. EMS units were summoned to treat Johnson at the detention center, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.

Officials did not observe any obvious signs that pointed to a cause of Johnson’s death, the release said.

The State Bureau of Investigation was notified of Johnson’s death and is now in charge of the investigation, the release said. An autopsy has been ordered to determine the cause of death.

Johnson had been confined to the jail since Aug. 16, and was awaiting a Jan. 24 trial on several felony sex charges involving possession of child pornography and a statutory sexual offense with a child. ..Source.. by Chris Cioffi

Human remains found in woods after family dog discovers femur bone

12-23-16 Mississippi:

PEARL RIVER COUNTY, MS (WLOX) - Skeletal remains were discovered off George Mitchell Rd. in Pearl River County on Monday after a family dog dragged a femur bone out of the woods.

Coroner Derek Turnage said this is not the first time this dog has found human remains in the woods.

The black lab brought part of a skull out of the same area of woods on Aug. 19. Turnage said the area was thoroughly searched after the skull was discovered, but no other remains were found.

This time, search crews were able to have more success with the help of a bloodhound named Bo.

Pearl River County Emergency Operations Director Danny Manly said the owner of the lab contacted the sheriff’s department Monday morning, and deputies worked with members of the county’s search and rescue team to scour the area.

Male teacher and ‘husband’ accused of sexual contact with gay teens found dead

Documents death of Aric Babbitt (another post documents Matthew Deyo death)

9-16-16 Minnesota:

A homosexual elementary school teacher, who was "married" to another man, killed himself and his "husband" in an apparent murder-suicide after the two were allegedly caught having inappropriate contact with students, according to Dakota County court documents.

Forty-year-old Aric Babbitt and 36-year-old Matthew Deyo were under investigation for regularly taking adolescent boys on overnight trips, specifically boys who identified as possibly gay, with parental approval, even though the men were openly homosexual.

According to court records, Babbitt assured parents that he was "mentoring" their children, and when questioned about inappropriate gifts he gave them, such as underwear and skimpy yoga shorts, Babbitt told the parents that they wouldn't understand because "It's a gay thing."

Grand jury deems prison death suicide, finds no wrongdoing

11-28-16 Nebraska:

A Lancaster County grand jury has determined a 33-year-old inmate at the Lincoln Correctional Center committed suicide in January and found no wrongdoing in his death, according to reports filed last week.

Charles Gipson was found unresponsive in a prison shower around 1:30 p.m. Jan. 13 after an inmate notified a caseworker, the grand jury's report said.

Prison staff found him him lying on his side, fully clothed with a bedsheet bound with a prison-issued belt around his neck, the report said.

Attempts to revive Gipson were unsuccessful.

Key West homeless man found dead on beach

11-25-16 Florida:

A 50-year-old man who lived at the Key West homeless shelter was found dead on a local beach Thanksgiving Day, but police have only called it a “non-suspicious” death investigation, not a homicide.

David Allen Bolivar, whose legal address was the Keys Overnight Temporary Shelter, 5537 College Road, was found in the sea oat grass along the sand dunes at Smathers Beach off South Roosevelt Boulevard about 11:30 a.m. Thursday.

“His personal belongings were there under a little bench,” said Key West police spokesman Steve Torrence. “It’s an ongoing death investigation. I’m not supposed to say much of anything.”

An autopsy was scheduled for Monday and no preliminary cause of death was being released Friday, Torrence said.

Inmate Who Committed Suicide in County Jail is Alleged Child Molester from Bay Point

6-24-16 California:

The man who committed suicide in the Contra Costa County Jail in Martinez this week is an alleged child molester from Bay Point, according to the Office of the Sheriff.

The deceased inmate has been identified as 57-year-old Alexander Legaspi of Bay Point. Legaspi was originally arrested by the Office of the Sheriff on July 6, 2015. He was being held on 15 felony counts of child molestation; his bail was set at $22,000,000, the Sheriff’s Office said.

On Thursday at about 7:15 a.m. during morning recreation time, an inmate notified a Deputy that there was an inmate passed out in the shower.

The Deputy immediately responded and found Legaspi slumped over inside the shower. A bed sheet was tied to the shower frame.

Adams County jail inmate kills himself after arrest following 15-year manhunt

3-29-16 Colorado:

An inmate at the Adams County jail, who was arrested last month after 15 years on the run from charges in Ohio, committed suicide on Sunday, officials say.

David Lee Skelly, 40, was being held in lieu of $1 million bail when deputies found him unresponsive in his cell.

The county sheriff’s office said in a Tuesday news release that lifesaving efforts by guards and an ambulance crew were unsuccessful. Authorities did not say how Skelly took his life.

Skelly was arrested Feb. 26 in Westminster by police and U.S. Marshals outside his workplace, the Residence Inn, after trying to flee on foot.

UPDATE: Accused molester takes own life

5-13-16 Florida:

INDIAN RIVER COUNTY — The man who was accused of molesting an autistic teenager at the North County Library committed suicide while out on bond, police say.

Richard Moore, 56, of Vero Beach was arrested in April and faced a charge of sexual battery on a "mentally defective" person and unlawful sexual activity with a minor after Indian River County Sheriff's Det. Jeremy Shepherd interviewed him, according to a press release.

Moore died of an apparent suicide Sunday, May 8, in the 8000 block of 105th Court, at 12:30 p.m., according to Indian River County Spokesman Lt. Eric Flowers. He suffered a gunshot wound to the head. The investigation is still active.

Convicted rapist’s death at Maine State Prison ruled suicide

3-10-16 Maine:

The Office of the State Medical Examiner recently determined Donald Riley, 67, hung himself Feb. 11.

A Waterville man who died at the Maine State Prison last month committed suicide by hanging, the state medical examiner has determined.

Donald Riley, 67, who used the middle names Edwin and Edward, died at 2:15 p.m. Feb. 11 at the prison in Warren, according to the Maine Department of Corrections.

On Tuesday, a spokesman for the Office of the State Medical Examiner, which performed an autopsy, provided the manner and cause of Riley’s death.

Sex offender jumps to death from George Washington Bridge

11-20-16 New York:

Richard C. Genin, 65, who was convicted in 2011 of possessing child porn, stopped his white Honda on the bridge (George Washington Bridge), got out and leapt over the railing, a witness reported.

His remains were retrieved from the water. ..Source.. by Angle News

Suspect Commits Suicide During Sex Offense Investigation in Sumter County

10-24-16 Florida:

LAKE PANASOFFKEE – Sumter County Deputies were dispatched to the Lake Panasoffkee Family Dollar in response to a sex offense complaint involving a minor on Sunday just after 5:00 pm.

When deputies arrived, the victim’s mother told deputies that her daughter told her she was molested and raped. According to a statement from the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office, the victim stated that the abuse began when she was nine years old and lived out of state.

Deputies escorted the victim and her family to the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office where they continued to investigate the allegations. During the investigation, the suspect began sending text messages to the victim’s mother one of which caused concern among the deputies due to the suspect’s history of suicidal threats.

DA: Convicted child molester killed himself right before his sentencing

5-12-16 Pennsylvania:

A convicted child molester apparently killed himself right before he was to appear in Dauphin County Court to be sentenced to a state prison term for sexually abusing a 14-year-girl, a prosecutor said Thursday.

Kevin Marshall, 32, of Gratz, pleaded guilty to multiple sex crimes in February. He had a plea deal for a 3- to 7-year jail term and was scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Scott A. Evans on Wednesday morning.

When Marshall didn't show, and attempts by his lawyer, Public Defender Mary Klatt, to find him failed, Chief Deputy District Attorney Sean McCormack secured a bench warrant be issued for his arrest.

State police at Lykens never had a chance to serve that warrant. McCormack said as he contacted police to bring Marshall to court, the officers were notified that a passerby had found a body near Marshall's home. Indications are that Marshall fatally shot himself, McCormack said.

Arrested pastor dies by suicide

6-28-16 Georgia:

A former Jeffersonsville, Indiana pastor arrested in Frankfort for attempting to have sex with a minor committed suicide Monday in Marietta, Ga. The Cobb County Medical Examiner’s Office told The State Journal Brown died of asphyxia from hanging himself.

The Attorney General’s Office Cyber Crimes Unit arrested the former pastor David James Brown, 46, when he drove to Frankfort earlier this month and attempted to arrange a sexual encounter with an investigator posing as a minor.

Given Brown’s death, Franklin County Attorney Rick Sparks dismissed the case with prejudice Tuesday.

First Christian Church had released a statement when Brown was charged saying it was “a sad day for our church,” and they had placed Brown on temporary administrative leave and he was “relieved of all his ministerial duties pending further investigations.”

Brown had been a senior pastor at the church for a little over a year and met the minor on the KIK messenger app.

Sex offender hangs himself in jail

6-13-16 North Carolina:

A Gaston County sex offender has died after he was found hanging in his jail cell last week, less than three hours after his arrest.

John William Gluth Jr., 44, was charged June 7 for failing to report his new Gastonia address to the Sheriff's Department. He was given a $250,000 bond.

He didn't live to see his first court appearance.

Found hanging

"He was found hanging in his cell," said Darrell Griffin, assistant chief of the Gaston County Sheriff's Office. "He was unresponsive and not breathing."

Gluth died Friday at CaroMont Regional Medical Center.

Gluth went to his cell, alone, at 11:49 a.m. that day while other inmates congregated in a common area. A deputy doing routine checks found Gluth at 12:19 p.m., unresponsive and not breathing with a bed sheet tightened around his neck, Griffin said.

Sex offender dies after what appears to be self-inflicted injuries

7-28-16 Arizona:

KINGMAN - A Yucca man being tried for sex offense charges was found dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound Wednesday morning.

Patrick Haslem, 59, was found wounded in his vehicle by a passerby on Franconia Road between Lake Havasu City and Yucca, according to Mohave County Sheriff's Office spokesperson Trish Carter. Haslem was still alive when deputies, a ground medical team and helicopter responded. He was airlifted to Havasu Regional Medical Center where he died of his injuries at approximately 4:30 a.m.

The Sheriff's office does not yet know when the shooting actually happened. It is believed he shot himself in a suicide attempt and died of his injuries.