Officials Say Man Committed Suicide In Washington County Jail

FAYETTEVILLE -- A man apparently committed suicide in the Washington County Detention Center, the Sheriff's Office said Monday afternoon.

Jeremy Laconsello, 20, was found dead by patrol officers about 5 a.m. Monday with a towel tied around his neck and to the top bunk of a bed, according to a news release from the office. Foul play isn't suspected, Sheriff Tim Helder said.

"It can happen in the middle of the night," Helder said. "I'm as sorry as anybody else."

Laconsello's two cellmates were asleep at the time, office spokeswoman Kelly Cantrell said. Hourly patrols missed Laconsello's death because a blanket was pulled down over his head and neck "like a curtain," she said.

Laconsello's address was listed as 15 N. 19th St. in Fort Smith, according to the Sheriff's Office.

An internal investigation will ensure all rules were followed and is standard procedure after a death in custody, Cantrell said. Video of the incident isn't available because the sleeping cells don't have cameras, she added. Laconsello's body was sent to the State Crime Lab to determine cause of death.

Laconsello was arrested in June in connection with felony possession of drug paraphernalia. Springdale police said they found a methamphetamine pipe in a vehicle he was using.

His brother, Daryn Laconsello, 19, also was arrested at the time, according to the preliminary arrest report. His address was listed in Park Hill, Okla. Daryn Laconsello was being held Monday on $5,000 bond in connection with vehicle theft and public intoxication.

Daryn Laconsello was told privately of his brother's death and was allowed to talk with family members by phone, Cantrell said.

Deputies are required to let prisoners sleep for eight uninterrupted hours, Cantrell said. During their hourly check, they will check in quickly and quietly with a flashlight and "count heads," she said. Jeremy Laconsello was found in a seated position on his bed, which he moved to the floor instead of on his bunk. A blanket hung like a curtain over his face and neck, she said.

The death is the second suicide in the jail since it opened in 2005, Cantrell said. William Spurgeon used his jail-issued clothes to hang himself from his bed rail. He was being held in connection with several rape and assault charges and was last seen about an hour before he was found dead.

The jail has struggled with overcrowding in the last year, which officials blamed for rising tensions and a quadrupling of violent incidents. Its population has briefly touched record highs of about 630 people and stood at 603 Monday.

The facility is rated to hold 710, but restrictions by gender, whether an inmate has gone to trial and other factors mean its practical capacity is lower, officials have said.

Helder said Monday he didn't believe overcrowding was a factor in Laconsello's death, adding if someone's determined to die at his own hands, officers can only do so much to stop him.

"Short of putting cameras in every room, I don't know how we can prevent it," Helder said.

NW News on 08/19/2014

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