Tuesday, October 27, 2009
A St. Joseph man convicted of abusing his 6-year-old daughter apparently committed suicide by hanging himself in the Buchanan County Jail on Saturday.
Sheriff Mike Strong told the News-Press on Monday that the body of inmate Adam R. Lee, 36, underwent an autopsy and the department is awaiting the toxicology report.
"As it stands right now, nothing seems out of the ordinary," Mr. Strong said. "There was no indication to any of our medical staff that this guy was threatening or going to do this."
The sheriff added that Mr. Lee's cell mate had been removed the day before and Mr. Lee was only by himself for a short period of time before the incident happened.
Mr. Lee was sentenced to one year in jail last month by Associate Judge Keith Marquart, who found the defendant guilty of third-degree assault at the conclusion of a court trial in August.
The Class A misdemeanor assault charge stemmed from an incident during which Mr. Lee choked his 6-year-old daughter. His three children were living with a foster family at the time after children's services removed them from the defendant's home due to unsanitary living conditions.
During his sentencing, Mr. Lee admitted that he tried to kill himself in jail after his conviction and was depressed. But the defendant testified he was doing much better since starting on anti-depressants.
Carol Jenkins, a friend of Mr. Lee's from their days at Lafayette High School, said she hadn't talked to him in quite some time but the news still came as a shock.
"I hate that this happened. He was a good guy. I didn't know that life was that bad," she said. "This is going to have an effect on a lot of people."
Sheriff Strong said the last death in the jail, which occurred about two years ago by his recollection, was due to an overdose.
"I don't think we've had (a suicide) here in the last three, four or five years, but it happens in other institutions," Mr. Strong said.
The sheriff added that if the department's medical staff saw indications Mr. Lee intended to harm himself, they would've taken him out of his cell, dressed him in special clothing and kept a vigilant watch over him.
"That was not the case on this individual," said Mr. Strong, who told the News-Press that his staff performed standard checks on Mr. Lee. "This was an isolated incident."
R.J. Cooper can be reached
at rjcooper@npgco.com.
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babiblu41 says...
I find this as very devastating. Please remember all people incarcerated are not always guilty. And when posting comments please be sensitive to the family of this young man. As a family member we know the truth as what happened.
October 27, 2009 at 6:48 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
mellie62 says...
losing his family, and maybe the thought of going to bed hungry, wearing the same clothes, holy blankets, no pillows, not getting his commissary for a year, was too much to bear. this jail needs to be investigated for the treatment of its inmates, it is not supposed to be a country club-but they are treated like animals not human beings. wonder how many times sheriff strong has gone to bed hungry after a 50cent a tray meal?
October 27, 2009 at 10:23 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
donaldo says...
in one sentence Mr strong stated that the last suicide was an overdose about two years ago, and the very next sentence he said i don't think there has been a suicide in three , four , or five years. i am curious, when was the last suicide? it really doesn't matter to me personally but the facts ought to be correct , especially from our sheriff. and as far as our jails go, give them a pillow at least. as far as the holey blankets , well they should be replaced. is it that any money they save on replacing blankets and pillows are going into someones pocket? it is only right to have something to rest your head on a pillow at night.
October 27, 2009 at 12:35 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
ceebee2 says...
Come on donaldo, read.
He didn't say the last suicide was an overdose...he said the last death in the jail was an overdose.
October 27, 2009 at 1:14 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
blazer6465 says...
My thoughts and prayers are with Mr Lee and his family. Judging the man is GODS place, not yours. Remember that he does have a family and children, who may be reading this column, and your comments are not what they want or need to see. If you would not say it to his childrens face, please do not type it in this column.
October 27, 2009 at 2:58 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
He_who_opines_behind_anonymity says...
mellie62,
Personally, I wish that every single shoe, blanket, pillow, sheet and mattress in the jail was full of holes. I wish they kept it 50 degrees in the winter and 100 in the summer and only one or two of the lights worked. I want it to feel like hell to be in there, the last thing I want is for them to be even the least little bit comfortable!
Those poor inmates, what did they do to deserve this? Oh yeah, they steal, rape, kill, rob, deal drugs, molest, kidnap and other wonderful things.
October 27, 2009 at 4:16 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
shorty9258 says...
Maybe you negative writers will have to go to jail for DWI or spousal abuse,then you can get a taste of life in your County Jail.Before court you are presumed innocent till proven guilty some inmates are lucky to post bond some are not able.Go to a State Prison if you want to see a country club.T.V.'s in each room,commisary,nice gyms ,programs for education,Jobs,Yard so many hours a day.You get your laundry done weekly.Nice blankets,and pillows.Now run your negative comments some more.
October 27, 2009 at 5:50 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
blackorchid011 says...
I wonder how the 6 year old feels...personally I think that she should be the judge of this situation...
October 27, 2009 at 6:07 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Thecitizen says...
I have to address He Who Opens.......What if for some reason someone didn't like you? Then they made a false accusation that you touched their daughter at church inappropriately. Well my friend You will be put into jail guilty or not. Depending on the charges, you will likely spend some time under lock and key. Lets see how you run your mouth without thinking then. Sure I hate criminals too. St Joe has its share of real scum! But that does not give the city the right to make their jails inhumane. Think before you speak!
October 27, 2009 at 6:07 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
bw says...
The inmates are treated ok, but as far as where the money goes... have you ever seen all the Durangos in the parking lot? Strong puts the money where he wants, not what's best for the inmates, or employees. My sister works there & she's overworked & under staffed; not to mention how over crowded the jail is. There's approximately 100 inmates or more, than what it was built to hold. Why doesn't the health dept. or fire dept. go inspect the place, & maybe they would see where the real problem is.
October 27, 2009 at 9 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
He_who_opines_behind_anonymity says...
Shorty9528 and The citizen,
I absolutely GUARANTEE you I will never go to jail for anything. That is a big difference between folks like you and folks like me. I will NEVER have to worry about it because I don't put myself in the type of situations where this sort of thing would happen. And yes, I CAN say that with absolute certainty!
Every jail should be inhumane just like the people locked up inside them! They should not even be able to see the light of day during their entire period of incarceration!
October 27, 2009 at 9:14 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
DMS2007 says...
He_who_opines_behind_ANONYMITY
I find the name you use to be very ironic considering the comments you make. There is only one way any body can guarantee they will NEVER have to worry about being locked up....if they or a close family member is in law enforcement.
In our great country, it should never happen to anyone who is innocent, but it does. I once believed in the system too, and thought that all people in law enforcement were honest hard working people with a desire to keep us safe and protect our property and our rights. Then I began to really look at our local system and have found too many of the people in the positions of power have let it go to their heads and they no longer care about justice only about making arrests and getting conviction or more to the point making false charges then threatening even worse charges unless the person pleads guilty.
My only request is for all of you to consider how you would feel if someone falsely accused you of something and you were arrested and charged and were too poor to post bail or hire an attorney. It does happen, maybe more often than we can imagine.
October 27, 2009 at 11:27 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
babiblu41 says...
I am a family member of this young man. There is alot of abuse of powers in our judicial system. And the 6 yr old child is devastated as is the rest of the family over his death. There was alot of influence on the courts to jail him. If he was the person that is described in the papers then the juvenile system would'nt have been working on reuninting the family "with him included".This was a horrible injustice.
October 28, 2009 at 5 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Rax says...
DMS2007,
Actually, Since I don't believe being a member of law enforcement automatically makes you immune from beign jailed, I believe there is one very important way to stay out of jail and that is to live a good, clean, honest and decent life and not get involved in situations where this is a possibility.
Many people, most I think, live this type of life. A lot of people beleve that on any given day any person could be wrongly accused. Well, that is wrong in itself. If you live a good life, have basic common sense and surround yourself with a good family and always stay in the company of good people then you'll be just fine. I guarantee it.
And I am not in law enforcement, I am in construction. But I am also not naive enough to believe that our prisons and jails are full of innocent people.
October 28, 2009 at 5:34 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
WhoisJohnGalt says...
No sir, you cannot "guarantee" you will never be put in jail, innocent or otherwise. There are too many variables in life, including mistaken identity, identity theft, misread fingerprints, vindictive family or friends, or just plain computer error. Most people earn their jail time fair and square, but occasionally the innocent are swept up by circumstance.
October 28, 2009 at 6:14 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
babiblu41 says...
If you want to know about police and judicial corruption just google it. But please don't be afraid of what you might read. It will bring you out of your perfect world. As far as innocent people incarcerated, contact The Innocent Project firm in Kansas City, they have been helping free innocent people from incarceration for several years now.
October 28, 2009 at 6:17 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
LibertyOrDeath says...
Here comes the story of the Hurricane...
October 28, 2009 at 7:04 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
jambreman says...
The police have the duty to protect people in their custody because it conforms to the "special relationship" clause. I am wondering how often the inmates in the jail are checked on? Sheriff Strong commented that this inmate gave no clues that he was of any danger to himself...DUH!! Most people that plan to carry out a suicide plan do not tell anyone; the one's that do tell do so because they want to be stopped. So, should we believe that it is excusable because the inmate didn't verbally say that he wanted to hang himself? Regardless, I want to know how long of a time period lapses between checks? I smell a rat, and it's driving a Durango. Babiblu, you're correct. Police corruption runs deeper than one might think. The police have a "Code of Silence" and most would be surprised of the number of wrongdoings that are concealed by other officers. I am not saying that all officers are corrupt, but it does happen. My prayers go out to this mans family and children and I hope that they get the answers that they are needing.
October 28, 2009 at 7:16 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
pops says...
I would never diminish the tragedy of a man who leaves behind a family, children and friends. It's a terrible thing. However, I do feel it's important to make clear that jail is NOT a motel. It's not built for comfort. It's not there to make you happy or to feel good about yourself.
I'd also point out that to castigate the police or sheriff department is illogical and indicates a disdain for law enforcement. It's not the sheriff's fault these people are in jail. It's not the police officer's fault they're lawbreakers.
Sure there are those who are, perhaps, falsely accused, but honestly, my friends, that's much more of a rarity than is indicated here!!
Of course, we ALL know that EVERYONE in jail is innocent!! Just ask any inmate!!
October 28, 2009 at 7:27 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
noodelsgranny says...
I have been jailed over-night for something I did not do. It was taken care of and I got an "apology" for what happened. However, I still feel as though jail should be an awful place. It should be feared and dreaded.
October 28, 2009 at 7:45 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
He_who_opines_behind_anonymity says...
Well DMS2007,
I am not in any way attached to law enforcement, I am a business owner. It is not hard to stay out of jail. I believe that if you took a poll you'll find the huge majority of people have never been in jail so it isn't nearly as hard as you want to make it sound. Sure, it is easy to find trouble if you want to, but it is also just as easy to avoid it.
October 28, 2009 at 7:50 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Paladin says...
Perhaps the family member posting here would enlighten us as to where the injustice lies and the false reporting that is being done. I'm curious the mitigating circumstances because having read the article three other children were removed from the household due to unsanitary conditions and then a child was assaulted. Excuse me if I'm not doing the bleeding heart liberal dance. Like a wise man once told me: You can be poor, but it doesn't mean you have to be dirty.
To the poster saying no one can judge him, but God. Get with reality will you? That line might have worked back in 20 AD, but this is 2009 and in civilized society (I use that term loosely) man must judge man in order to keep order, safety, and the overall protection of a community at large. If we took your view and just let people run around hoping God's judgement would keep everything right - it would be anarchy.
Jail should be memorable - and not in a good way. No system is 100% and I've sat in a jail overnight. I am GLAD it sucked because it was exactly the wake up call I needed as a reckless young man. I'd rather 3 innocent people who slipped through the cracks suffer a little than allow 3,000 true blood criminals to live an pleasant experience for breaking the law.
The death of any person is tragic to their friends and family. Condolences to them. But, in suicide a choice is made. Trying to mark blame on law enforcement for getting him to that level is assanine. There were a whole slew of conditions and actions prior to his jailing that led up to the final decision. Jailing might have been the final straw, but for law enforcement - in order to protect citizens they must incarcerate a person and allow the natural courses of the law to run its course before deciding if a person should be released back into society. Complain all you want, but its 1000 times better than most countries where this man would have simply rot without any due process.
October 28, 2009 at 8:18 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
ApparentlySo says...
Thecitizen,
The jail is owned and operated by Buchanan County. Really, can't anyone get their governments correct around here. Don't they teach that at all anymore?
October 28, 2009 at 4:48 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
Thecitizen says...
Apparentlyso, Yes you are correct. The City has nothing to do with the County Jail. Out of the of the 89,000 people who live in Buchanan County 79,000 live in St Joseph. We have two governments with the same agenda. Serve the people. Where do most of the counties populace live? ST JOE! Your correction yet true, is out of place in this forum.
Paladin. I agree with most of what you said. You are wrong in stating jail should be memorable. I think the real hell begins once you have been convicted of a crime and sentenced to a penitentiary. Not before. We have rights that include fair due process and a speedy trial. It seems like in this country you are presumed guilty before innocent. If you don't have money to post bail you are in a world of hurt. Even if you are innocent your life will crumble. Waiting for trials can take months. All I can say is you better have a caring family that will make your house, and car payment while you are waiting in a Inhuman jail. All it takes is a devilishly smart ex-wife or husband and you are toast...
October 28, 2009 at 8:24 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
ApparentlySo says...
No, it is perfectly placed and when someone blames the wrong entity, corrections are in order.
Where the jail is located, where most of the populace lives, these two governments' agendas are on opposite ends of the spectrum - are all irrelevant.
You specifically blame one entity who has absolutely no control or oversight with how it is run. The City being a lower level of government, has no authority of the County. So BUCHANAN COUNTY, as the owner/operator of the jail is responsible for the jail. And guess what, all 79,000 people in the city live, and where do ALL of the county's populace live, funnily enough...BUCHANAN COUNTY.
October 28, 2009 at 10:54 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
bearie04 says...
he was left so long hanging that the cord had started to dig into his neck and he was stiffing up..how does this happen when guards are supposed to do checks frequently? I'd say someone didnt do their job...although when someone wants to end their life..seriously..it will get done no matter whos around or not..i feel bad for his children
October 28, 2009 at 11:42 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
ckend46 says...
personally I think that there is something fishy about the situation.I'm a law abiding citizen that tries to live by the law and follow the laws to the best of my ability.I have personally been arrested and mistreated by the cops here on several occassions,in and out of jail, seen and knows what they are capable of.They are just trying to cover their butts.
If you're on suicide watch how can this happen?and who was'nt doing their job?I was locked up there once and a guy refused to take his meds,5 officers came in the cell and tackled this guy to make him take his meds .If you've had a run in with the cops here you would know that they do what they want when they want, it's not about justice that's for certain.I'm not saying that all cops are bad but there are some that should be looked at,and not saying that everyone is innocent either ,those that are guilty should be punished to the fullest extent of the law and no one is above the law that would include the ones that pretend to uphold it.
October 29, 2009 at 11:06 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
suzyQ says...
The children are the real victims (twiceover) here, lets not forget that.
October 29, 2009 at 11:30 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
suzyQ says...
Opines -
The Le Mesa guy was a business owner too.
However, I do agree that if you lead a good, clean, healthy life, that you will minimize the chance you will end up in jail.
October 29, 2009 at 11:32 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )