Accused sex offender kills himself as law enforcement arrive to arrest him

11-16-2012 Tennessee:

An accused sex offender who failed to show up for a motion date in Wilson County court on Tuesday killed himself as federal marshals and deputies from two counties moved in to arrest him for failing to appear.

Jason Todd Davis, 49, of Anderson Ave. in Smyrna, had been indicted in December on charges of sexual battery of a minor less than 13 years old by Lebanon Police, according to Wilson County Sheriff Robert Bryan.

“He had been through a preliminary hearing, was indicted, arraigned and had (pre-trial motions) set for Tuesday,” Bryan explained.

The judge in the case issued a bench warrant for Davis’ arrest, and authorities with the U.S. Federal Marshal’s Service, Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office and Wilson County Sheriff’s Office moved in Tuesday to arrest him at his home.

“When they arrived, they found his vehicle parked outside,” Bryan said.

Rutherford County Detective Chuck Thomas, who is assigned to the U.S. Marshal’s Task Force, said he and other officers entered the home and heard a gunshot come from a back bedroom.

Thomas said officers found Davis on his back in the bedroom with a gunshot wound. He was holding a rifle.

Rutherford County Emergency Medical Services paramedics were called to the scene, along with supervisors with the U.S. Marshal’s Service, Rutherford County Sheriff Robert Arnold and Wilson County Sheriff Robert Bryan.

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation also responded to the scene to offer its assistance, according to TBI spokeswoman Kristin Helm.

“We did not open an investigation,” Helm said.

An investigation into Davis’ death would only be launched if requested by the Rutherford County District Attorney’s Office, according to Helm.

So far, no request has been made, she said.

Bryan said the situation was dangerous, and officers were lucky that the incident didn’t turn into a shootout with police.

“You just never know what is going through someone’s mind in a situation like this,” he said. ..Source.. by Mark Bell

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Wilson suspect dead in apparent suicide

11-16-2012:

A man wanted on a child sex abuse charge in Wilson County took his own life Tuesday, according to Sheriff Robert Bryan.

Federal marshals and deputies from both Wilson and Rutherford counties went to the Smyrna home of Jason Todd Davis, 48, 540 Anderson Ave., after Davis failed to show in Wilson County Circuit Court on Tuesday.

“Officers attempted several times to make contact with Mr. Davis with no response whatsoever,” said Bryan. “Officers entered the residence, and as soon as they entered the door, they heard a shot.”

According to Rutherford County Detective Chuck Thomas, assigned to the U.S. Marshals Task Force, officers found Davis with a gunshot wound lying on his back holding a rifle.

A Wilson County grand jury indicted Davis on Dec. 13 on one count of aggravated sexual battery, according to Tom Swink, assistant district attorney for the 15th Judicial District.

“The incident occurred in Lebanon on Aug. 28, 2011 and was investigated by the Lebanon Police Department,” said Swink in an email.

Davis was released in August on $10,000 bond, according to Swink.

Davis was scheduled to appear for pre-trial motions Tuesday. When he failed to appear, the judge automatically issued an arrest warrant, according to Bryan.

Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is in charge of the case. ..Source.. by Sara McManamy-Johnson

UPDATE: Medical examiner rules Tichenor death a suicide

11-14-2012 Virginia:

Former College of the Canyons trustee was due for sentencing on sex-related charge

A former College of the Canyons trustee who entered a plea of guilty on a charge that he solicited a minor for sex over the Internet has killed himself, an official said Tuesday.

Ernest “Ernie” Tichenor committed suicide, said a spokeswoman for the Loudoun County Medical Examiner’s office in Virginia. She said he died as a result of asphyxia.

No autopsy was done on the body, she said.

At 6:20 a.m. Friday, officers with the Fairfax County Police Department in Virginia received a call of a “suspicious death” from someone who shared a house with Tichenor, said Officer Eddy Azcarate, spokesman for the department.

Responding officers arrived at the home on Cedarlake Court, a cul-de-sac flanked on either side of the street by rows of joined townhomes.

Tichenor’s body was found inside the home in the 4300 block of Cedarlake, Azcarate said.

“All the indications were that Mr. Tichenor did take his own life,” he said.

Tichenor was scheduled to appear in Loudoun County Court for sentencing after he pleaded guilty last summer of having solicited a minor for sex over the Internet.

The charge involved a 13-year-old girl.

Under Virginia law, anyone found guilty of the offense faces a prison term of no less than five years and could be sentenced to as many as 30 years.

Tichenor, who was born in Orange County in 1956, served on the Santa Clarita Community College District board from 1997 to 2009.

He grew up in the San Fernando Valley, living in suburbs including Tarzana and in Pasadena, before moving to Valencia with his wife, Holly.

Tichenor declined to run for a fourth term on the COC board in 2009, saying he had been hired by the federal government in Washington, D.C. He moved to Virginia later in 2009. ..Source.. by Jim Holt Signal Senior Staff Writer

Napa jail inmate apparently hanged himself

11-3-2012 California:

A registered sex offender arrested on Halloween night in American Canyon apparently hanged himself Thursday afternoon in the Napa County jail, according to the Napa County Sheriff’s Office.

Ezekiel Foster, 31, of American Canyon, may have hanged himself with a bed sheet while his two roommates slept on their bunks, said Napa County Sheriff’s Capt. Leroy Anderson.

An autopsy is scheduled for Monday, he said. There are no indications of foul play, Anderson said.

The roommates found Foster unconscious and unresponsive in his cell at about 2:20 p.m., Anderson said. The staff last checked the cell at 1:55 p.m., he said.

Anderson said correction officers arrived seconds after his cellmates pounded on the door and yelled for help. The officers moved Foster to the floor and started cardiopulmonary resuscitation, Anderson said. The staff also called 911.

Napa City fire and American Medical Response personnel arrived at the jail and continued resuscitation efforts, Anderson said. Foster was pronounced dead at 2:54 p.m. at the jail, he said.

Lenard Vare, director of the Napa County Department of Corrections, declined to elaborate on how the bed sheet had been used.

Foster was one of five registered sex offenders arrested on Wednesday and Thursday during an in-person check on about 40 registered sex offenders in Napa County.

He was arrested in the 300 block of Rio Del Mar and booked into the jail at 9:05 p.m. Wednesday on suspicion of being in possession of a knife and resisting arrest, Anderson said.

Napa County Sheriff’s deputies, along with Napa police and Napa County probation officers, checked on the registered officers to make sure they were in compliance with their registration requirements and the terms of probation or parole, Capt. Tracey Stuart said Thursday.

The last suicide at the jail occurred in 2009, Anderson said. ..Source.. by KERANA TODOROV
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Officials: Sex offender died of self-inflicted wounds

11-3-2012 South Carolina:

An Upstate man who shot himself to end a 12-hour standoff near Holly Hill died Friday.

John Henry Mauldin, 44, of Greenville was taken to the Regional Medical Center late Thursday to be treated for what authorities say was a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.

He died Friday evening of a laceration to the brain, Orangeburg County Chief Deputy Coroner Sean Fogle said.

According to Deputy U.S. Marshal Amanda Lyons, Mauldin was being sought by Greenville County officials on a probation violation.

The former tow truck company employee was convicted in 1986 on a child molestation charge in Georgia involving a 14-year-old female.

On March 15, Greenville County authorities obtained a warrant for his arrest. They discovered he had been on the run since January when he failed to report for a scheduled meeting with his probation officer.

Mauldin was also accused of failing to meet his lifetime sex offender registration requirement with Greenville County as required in March.

In October, an anonymous tip was sent to the Greenville County Sex Offender Watch tip line informing authorities that Mauldin may be hiding out in the Holly Hill area.

At that point, the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office contacted Operation Intercept, the U.S. Marshals-led fugitive task force, for assistance.

Operation Intercept determined Mauldin was staying in a trailer on Pecan Drive and converged on that location along with local and state authorities on Thursday.

Upon arriving in the area, officers verified with neighbors the Greenville man was residing in the area.

When officers reached the inside of the residence, they found Mauldin, who stated, “I have a gun,” Lyons said.

Seeing what looked like a handgun, the officers backed out of the residence.

The Orangeburg County Sheriff’s Office SWAT team was called in for additional assistance around 11 a.m.

Tactical officers surrounded the residence, located in a wooded area off Bunch Ford Road. Negotiating teams began trying to convince the Upstate man to surrender.

Meantime, Mauldin’s troubles were getting worse at the very moment he and law enforcement officers faced each other.

According to Greenville County court documents, an Upstate bank filed a debt collection suit against him Thursday.

Around 10 p.m. officers outside the residence heard a single gunshot.

In a statement issued before Mauldin’s death, U.S. Marshal for the District of South Carolina Kelvin Washington said the U.S. Marshals will “work day and night to bring you to justice.”

“The magnitude of this case is an exemplary illustration of how well all law enforcement partners worked together,” Washington said. ..Source.. by T&D Staff Report