Stories posted are written by National news Journalists, not by this blog.
Our Blog Tips

Sex offender hangs himself in Madison County jail

3-22-2013 Illinois:

A 55-year-old registered sex offender being held in the Madison County Jail was found hanging in his cell Thursday morning, the day after he was charged with trying to hire someone to abduct the woman he was charged with raping.

Kenneth W. Simpson was found hanging in his cell at 5:30 a.m. Thursday by correctional officers, according to a news release from the Madison County Sheriff's Department. He was listed on Florida and Illinois registries as a predator after he was convicted in 2000 of molesting a 7-year-old child in Brevard County, Fla., which is the Cocoa Beach area.

Illinois State Police Capt. James Morrisey said there was no indication that Simpson's death was other than a suicide. He appeared to have hung himself with a piece of cloth in his cell, which was part of a cell block containing six or eight other inmates, Morrisey said.

Simpson had been in the Madison County Jail since Aug. 24, 2011. He faced charges of aggravated criminal sexual assault, aggravated unlawful restraint, solicitation to commit home invasion, solicitation to commit residential burglary and unlawful possession of contraband in jail.

The solicitation charges and the contraband charges were filed against Simpson on Wednesday after detectives learned Simpson was planning to hurt the 64-year-old woman he was charged with raping.

Charges and an order of protection state Simpson on Aug. 19, 2011, beat the woman, took away her .357 Magnum and threatened her with it as he raped her twice in her Maryville home. At some point he slept on her floor with the weapon cocked.

He threatened to kill the victim, kill Maryville Police and them kill himself, court records state.

In July, Simpson sued the Madison County sheriff and jail medical personnel for refusing to give him pain medications. He claimed his back was hurt while serving as a U.S. Marine from 1975 to 1991 and the Veterans Administration had prescribed Vicodin and codeine.

Simpson was not under any kind of suicide watch, Morrisey said.

Once Simpson was discovered hanging in the cell, guards provided emergency treatment until the Edwardsville Fire Department Emergency Medical Services arrived.

EMS provided medical treatment until they determined Simpson was dead.

The Illinois State Police and the Department of Corrections and Madison County Coroner's Office are jointly investigating the death, as is standard jail protocol. No deficiencies were found in the last state inspection of the jail. ..Source.. by Beth Hundsdorfer

Accused child molester kills self on eve of trial

3-6-2013 Arizona:

Rather then face a jury trial for child molestation this week, 73-year-old Herbert Jones shot himself at his Blue Ridge home on Monday.

Opening statements were to begin this morning in Division I of Coconino County Superior Court. He was indicted in 2011 on two counts of child molestation and two counts of sexual conduct with a minor. The child was 5 or 6 years old when the abuse started and prosecutors charged that it lasted for several years.

Jones was found dead in a lawn chair in his back yard at about 1 p.m. with a single gunshot wound to his chest, an investigator said. Foul play was not suspected.

"There was no note, but he made some statements to family members that this was his intent," according to Coconino County Sheriff's Office spokesperson Gerry Blair. ..Source.. by Eric Betz