Death Row Inmate Found Dead at San Quentin

8-30-2010 California:

A death row inmate at San Quentin apparently committed suicide this weekend.

George Smithey, 70, was found hanging in his cell early Saturday morning, according to prison officials.

Smithey was put on California's death row in the summer of 1989 for the murder and attempted rape of Cheryl Anne Nesler. Nesler was killed April 18, 1988 in the tiny Calaveras County town of Glencoe. Her lifeless body was found by her then six year old daughter.

More than 20 years after that conviction, Smithey's appeals were still very active.

The Union Democrat reported earlier this month that a doctor recently determined that Smithey was mentally incompetent. That finding made it possible that his death sentence would be reversed.

The paper said a neuropsychologist hired by the Calaveras District Attorney’s Office examined Smithey at San Quentin in late July and determined he was "mentally retarded."

A 2002 U.S. Supreme Court decision forbids the execution of mentally incompetent individuals. Smithey's case was being watched by several death row inmates who claim they are mentally incompetent.

His death is now being investigated as a suicide, police said. ..Source.. by LORI PREUITT

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George Smithey, death row inmate, hangs himself days after judge spares him from execution

8-31-2010 California:

A judge spared a convicted murderer from death row, but the inmate decided to end his life anyway.

George Smithey, a 70-year-old convict at San Quentin, hanged himself with a noose made of bed sheets in his cell over the weekend.

Prison spokesman Lt. Sam Robinson said Smithey should have been moved from San Quentin once his sentenced was reduced.

"He wasn't moved as of yet because we hadn't received those sentencing documents. So he was still on death row," Robinson told the San Jose Mercury News. ..Source.. by SEAN ALFANO

Austintown man found dead in fire at his home

8-19-2010 Ohio:

Police questioned him as suspect in sex

Police say a man questioned about a sex crime, alleged by a 15-year-old boy, apparently killed himself Tuesday night.

Detective Sgt. Ray Holmes said he’d questioned Keith A. Leonard, 51, that day about a sex offense alleged in mid-July. Holmes wouldn’t comment on that case, other than to say it is now closed.

Leonard was found dead Tuesday evening in the charred bathroom of his Woodmere Drive home.

He was “burned beyond recognition,” a police report said.

In July, according to a separate police report, Leonard propositioned a 15-year-old boy who was at the Woodmere Drive home doing landscaping work. The report said the boy was offered $500 to allow Leonard to perform a sex act on him.

Holmes said he questioned Leonard about this Tuesday morning.

Assistant Fire Chief Andy Frost Jr. said Leonard was found dead about 10 p.m. that day, after a neighbor heard his smoke alarm going off and called the Austintown Fire Department.

Frost said most of the damage, about $3,000 worth, was contained to the bathroom.

He said the fire department has been asked by the State Fire Marshal’s office not to comment further.

The fire’s cause is under investigation by the state, but Detective Sgt. Kathy Dina said a grill was found in the bathroom.

Though police are not sure how the fire started, Dina said bringing a grill indoors and lighting the charcoal is a known method of suicide. The burning coals produce carbon monoxide and deplete oxygen.

“At this time it looks like it was a suicide,” Dina said.

Police found a note in the living room warning those who entered the residence of “poisonous gases,” she said.

The fire department did not detect carbon monoxide but the state fire marshal took samples in the house and could have different results, Dina said.

“Until the coroner’s report comes back and tells me how he died, we won’t know for sure,” she said.

Leonard was an employee at Farmers National Bank in Austintown and a member of Austintown Kiwanis Club.

Rick Jamrozik, Mahoning County coroner investigator, said an autopsy is scheduled for today. ..Source.. by Elise Franco

Molestation suspect dies during an apparent suicide attempt

8-17-2010 Minnesota:

SOMERSET TOWNSHIP — An Austin man who was facing criminal sex charges in Mower County died in rural Steele County over the weekend after a botched suicide attempt when he fell out of the tree from which he was trying to hang himself.

The body of James Carle Spencer, 37, was discovered by Steele County Sheriff’s deputies beneath a tree in a field in the Somerset Township on Saturday, according to Steele County Sheriff Don Gudmundson. A local farmer alerted the sheriff’s office to the area when he discovered an empty car sitting in the field, Gudmundson said.

When deputies searched the area, they found Spencer’s body. Gudmundson said that it appeared that Spencer had climbed the tree using deer spikes and had attached a rope to a branch in the tree, apparently in order to hang himself. But before he could put the rope around his neck, it appeared that a branch broke and Spencer fell to the ground where he died, Gudmundson said. Deputies discovered the rope still hanging in the tree, the sheriff said.

“Someone was clearly attempting suicide,” Gudmundson said.

Charged with six counts of criminal sexual conduct, Spencer was scheduled to go on trial next week in Mower.

“We anticipated it going to trial,” Jeremy Clinefelter, the assistant county attorney for Mower County and prosecutor for the case, said Monday, adding that the county already had purchased plane tickets to bring the victim back to Minnesota.

Spencer was arrested in February after the victim — a 14-year-old girl — reported that over the course of the previous year he had touched her inappropriately, eventually leading to 10 instances of intercourse, according to the criminal complaint. In total, between 70 and 90 “touching instances” occurred in both Austin and Brownsdale, the complaint said.

The girl’s aunt reported the incidents in February after Spencer told both her and his mother that he had molested the girl, the complaint said. Spencer also ended up at the Austin Medical Center at about this same time after he attempted suicide, the complaint says. He told the aunt and his mother that the molestation was the reason for his suicide attempt.

He was crying and embarrassed and said he was going to be ‘put away,’ the complaint says.

Law enforcement officials in Mower County had been looking for Spencer since Wednesday when Spencer’s wife alerted police that her husband was missing and perhaps suicidal, Mower County Sheriff Terese Amazi said Monday.

Gudmundson said it was unclear when Spencer fell to his death, though he said Spencer’s body showed signs of “pretty serious decomposition.” He speculated that the death could have occurred as early as Wednesday.

Nor could Gudmundson say what was the exact cause of death, adding that no alcohol, pills or pill bottles were found at the scene. The only clearly identifiable injury to Spencer was a broken arm, Gudmundson said.

The Steele County coroner, who will make the determination of the cause of death, met with the sheriff’s office on Monday. But Gudmundson said Monday afternoon that there was nothing remarkable in the autopsy. The toxicology report won’t be ready for about two weeks and problems with the decomposition of the body made the autopsy difficult, he said. As of now, the death is being classified only as an “unwitnessed death, Gudmundson said, “the classification used in this type of incident until we know more.”

“This is an odd type of case,” Gudmundson said. ..Source.. by JEFFREY JACKSON, Owatonna People’s Press

Judge a Suicide As Reports Cite Sexual Conduct

8-21-1988 Washington:

SEATTLE, Aug. 20— A judge killed himself in a deserted hallway of the county courthouse Thursday after he learned that allegations of sexual misconduct were being published. A friend said the judge felt hounded by the press and unable to bear it anymore.

Judge Gary M. Little of King County Superior Court was found dead Thursday night of a self-inflicted bullet wound to the head, officials said.

He left a note saying: ''I have chosen to take my life. It's an appropriate end to the present situation.''

In the past six years, Mr. Little has been officially criticized or disciplined over improper contacts with juvenile defendants, according to reports made public in 1985. The Rumors Persisted

But rumors persisted of more serious sexual misconduct, leading a political challenger to raise those contacts as a campaign issue this year. They also led reporters from several news organizations to pursue reports that Judge Little had used his influence to coerce young men into performing sex.

Mr. Little, who was 49 years old and a judge since 1980, announced last month that he would not seek a third term, acknowledging that innuendo about his work with teen-age boys was the reason. He said he planned to move to California and go into a different line of work.

Judge Little shot himself about an hour before The Seattle Post-Intelligencer started printing Friday's editions, which contained allegations by five men, three of whom were former students of Judge Little's, that he had coerced them into having sex with him. The Seattle Times also reported Friday that it had been investigating Judge Little.

''He said he felt he'd been hounded by the press and he just couldn't take it anymore,'' said Camden Hall, a lawyer who was a friend of Judge Little and who spoke to him on the telephone minutes before the judge died. ''It was too much pressure. The hounding wouldn't stop.''

''He was not only driven into disgrace but to death,'' said Hal Foster, an art history professor and author who was interviewed from Paris by telephone by the Times.

Mr. Foster, who took Judge Little's law class at Lakeside School in the 1970's, said there was no sexual contact involving him and that he wasn't aware of any with his classmates. Newspaper Issues Statement

J. D. Alexander, executive editor of The Post-Intelligencer, said in a press release that Judge Little's death ''is a tragedy that touches the community at several levels. Certainly the most tragic is the loss of a human life.''

The newspaper's investigation was warranted, the statement said, because of a ''conspiracy of silence'' in ''key levels of the community'' about the judge's behavior.

A one-page, handwritten note, addressed to no one specifically, was found on a bench near Mr. Little's body, said Vaughn Van Zant, an investigator with the King County medical examiner. The medical examiner would not release its contents, but The Times reported the note said:

''I have chosen to take my life. It's an appropriate end to the present situation. I had hoped that my decision to withdraw from the election and leave public life would have closed the matter. Apparently these steps are not satisfactory to those who feel more is required, so be it.'' ..Source.. by NYTimes

Police Investigate Apparent Inmate Suicide

8-7-2010 Maryland:

JESSUP, Md. (AP) ― Howard County police are investigating the apparent suicide of an inmate at a county detention facility who was recently charged with sex abuse of a minor.

Forty-three-year-old Thomas Edward Brookhyser died Friday night at a local hospital. Bowie resident Brookhyser was found on the floor of his Howard County Central Booking cell around 7:30 p.m. Friday. Police say Brookhyser appeared to have hung himself by linking his shirt to a handicap bar near the cell's toilet.

According to police, the preliminary investigation shows correctional staff performed a suicide screening and did not see any indicators for suicide. They also say there does not appear to be any evidence of foul play at this time. ..Source.. by Maryland AP News


Officials say Bowie-area man killed self in Jessup prison

8-10-2010 Maryland:

Highbridge Estates resident charged with sex abuse of a minor

A Bowie-area man who was charged this week with sex abuse of a minor died Friday night at the R. Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center in Baltimore after apparently trying to commit suicide by hanging himself the day before at a Jessup jail.

Police are investigating the death of Thomas Edward Brookhyser, 43, who was processed Thursday night at the Howard County Central Booking facility in Jessup on charges of sex abuse of a minor, according to a release from the Howard County Police Department.

A correctional officer found Brookhyser hanged in his cell less than 40 minutes after he last checked on him, the release stated. Sherry Llewellyn, spokeswoman for the Howard County Police Department, said Monday there is no evidence of foul play, and suicide is suspected.

Cindy Rivers, public information officer for Shock Trauma, confirmed Monday that Brookhyser was no longer a patient at the hospital but could not provide more information because of medical privacy regulations.

Brookhyser, who lived in the 6700 block of Alexis Drive in Highbridge Estates, bordering the city of Bowie, had also been charged with second-degree assault and second- and third-degree sex offenses, according to online court records. The charges are no longer in effect, having been "abated by death," according to the records.

Court records also indicate that Brookhyser did not have an attorney.

When reached by phone Monday, Brookhyser's father, George Brookhyser, of Summersville, W.Va., described the charges against his son as "spurious" and "bogus."

"People are innocent until proven guilty," George Brookhyser said. "It's one person's word against another. The man is not available to defend himself, and the only one to defend him is me."

George Brookhyser said his son served four years in the Army, operating one of three cranes at Fort Eustis, Va., that loaded supplies onto ships during Operation Desert Storm.

Thomas Brookhyser was a Sergeant E-5 when he was discharged and received an Army Service ribbon, Army Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal, Expert Badge-M16 rifle, Sharpshooter Badge-Hand Grenade, NCO Professional Development Ribbon and Good Conduct Medal, according to his obituary.

"I feel they are besmirching his good name with these spurious and wrong charges," his father said.

Charging documents allege that Thomas Brookhyser coerced the victim, a family member, into masturbating him when she was 13 or 14 years old by threatening to stop buying things for the household if she told anyone. Documents indicate he allegedly fondled her but did not have intercourse with her.

According to the release, Thomas Brookhyser appeared before a Howard County District Court Commissioner in Jessup about 6:40 p.m. Thursday, and his bond was set at $100,000. After the hearing with the commissioner, Thomas Brookhyser was placed in a cell by a correctional officer, according to the release.

When a correctional officer checked him around 7 p.m., he was in "satisfactory condition," according to the release. When the officer checked him again at 7:37 p.m., Thomas Brookhyser was seen on the floor hanging by his shirt from a grab bar near the toilet in the cell, according to the release.

The officer called for help, and a correctional lieutenant and a Howard County police officer performed CPR until county emergency medical personnel arrived and took Thomas Brookhyser to Shock Trauma in an ambulance.

Thomas Brookhyser did not regain consciousness during the transport to Shock Trauma, Llewellyn said. He remained at Shock Trauma and was pronounced dead Friday night, according to the release.

The preliminary police investigation shows that as part of the intake process, correctional staff did a suicide screening and there were no indicators for suicide, nor did his behavior alert staff to the possibility of suicide, the release states.

A native of Craigsville, W.Va., Thomas Brookhyser graduated from Parkdale High School in Riverdale in 1985. He joined the U.S. Army and was stationed at Fort Eustis in Newport News, Va. He lived in the Bowie area for about six years, his father said.

Services are scheduled for Wednesday. The funeral arrangements are being handled by the Rose & Quesenberry Funeral Home in Beckley, W.Va. ..Source.. by Virginia Terhune

Cambuslang man facing child abuse charges commits suicide

6-16-2010 United Kingdom:

A FORMER Cambuslang and Cathkin pensioner who was found dead this month was facing a string of child sex allegations, it has emerged.

Alexander Berry (74) was found dead in a woodland estate near his home in Holywood, Dumfriesshire, on Thursday, June 3. A shotgun was found lying near his body.

Last week, a Crown Office spokesman confirmed that Berry, a published author and poet, was facing allegations that he had sexually abused children over a 26-year period.

He was alleged to have been involved in a number of incidents between 1957 and 1983.

Born in Blantyre in 1936, the retired clerk of works moved to Cambuslang and Cathkin when he was 22.

A source told the Reformer this week that some of the six alleged victims of the pensioner came from Blantyre and Cambuslang. He eventually moved to Dumfries with his family.

Berry was a well-respected member of the community in Dumfries and was a past president of the Cameronian Scottish rifles and a member of the British Red Cross. The 74-year-old worked on the Cowhill Estate in the area.

Earlier this month, Berry had been found on the estate by a shocked gardener.

Police are not treating the death of Berry, a former gun licence holder, as suspicious.

The deceased is survived by his wife of 52 years, Isobel, who is said to be battling cancer, and his two daughters.

A family member said last week that they were aware of allegations against Alex Berry.

However, she added: “We know that nothing in our experience suggest that the allegations are true.

“We do know however, he was the victim of anonymous letters and e-mails that have included fabrication of evidence.

“We don’t know if there is any relation between the fabricated evidence and the allegations.

“We don’t know if it was the same or different individuals that were involved, but we believe that this casts significant doubt on the truth of the allegations.”

The family of Berry’s alleged victims have told of their “outrage” at his death.

One source said: “It has robbed the victims of the chance to see him account for his horrible crimes in a court.

“For him to kill himself in such a manner shows no respect for his wife and her illness or his daughters, but shows he had much to lose in the community once his past was exposed.”

The source alleged Berry had sexually abused children as young as five, and even threatened one with a shotgun in woods near Blantyre after abusing him.

However, a Crown Office spokesman said the details will never be heard in court. He said: “As a result of his recent death, the case is now closed.” ..Source.. by Douglas Dickie, Rutherglen Reformer

Shooting suspect in Shelby County found dead of an apparent suicide

7-26-2010 Missouri:

SHELBYVILLE, Mo. -- A Waverly, Ill., man who was the subject of a manhunt after a Friday morning shooting in Shelby County was found dead Sunday in his SUV of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Patrick J. McIntire, 41, was being sought in connection with a shooting on Mo. 15 north of Bethel that left a woman described as a former girlfriend injured. McIntire was a registered child sex offender, police said.

The Shelby County Sheriff's Department reports that deputies received a tip at 2:35 p.m. Sunday of a white Ford Explorer parked in a wooded lot off County Road 179. When deputies arrived, they found McIntire's body inside.

Shelby County Coroner Ralph Eagan pronounced McIntire dead at 3:40 p.m., and ruled the man died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

The victim was taken to Samaritan Hospital in Macon for treatment after the shooting at 11:39 a.m. Friday. No report on her condition has been available, and police have not released further details of the incident. ..Source.. by Herald Wig Staff

Durham Man Wanted On Sex Charges Found Dead

7-29-2010 North Carolina:

A Durham man charged with several sex charges was found dead in Chatham County, according to police.

Kammie Michael, spokesperson for the Durham Police Department, says 48-year-old Michael Anthony Coleman was found dead Wednesday night from an apparent self-inflicted wound.

No other details about his death were released.

Coleman had been missing since July 24. He was facing three counts of third-degree exploitation of a minor. ..Source.. by MyNC.com