Fayette County Jail Staffers Save Life of Suicidal Prisoner

An inmate at the Fayette County Jail tried to hang himself last Sunday morning, May 17.

According to a report from the Sheriff’s Office, Jailer Cassandra Thompson was making rounds in the jail that morning when she found the inmate hanging from a shower. The inmate was unresponsive, the report said.

Jailers Thompson, Duderstadt, and Stark got the inmate down from the shower and begin life saving procedures while calling for help from Fayette County EMS. EMS arrived and transpired the inmate to a hospital in Austin.

“The subject was initially comatose but thanks to the actions of the jail staff in saving the individual’s life he is expected to recover,” the report stated. “Sheriff Korenek applauds the quick actions and professionalism displayed by the jail staff in handling the emergency.”

Sgt. Ron Naumann of the Sheriff’s Office said the inmate was arrested the day before in Winchester by the U.S. Marshals Service. Naumann said the man was wanted by law enforcement in Jefferson County for two first degree felony charges: online solicitation of a minor and sexual performance of a minor.

Naumann said the man was employed with a traveling carnival that has been laid up at its wintering grounds in Winchester due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The incident that led to the man’s charges allegedly happened while the carnival was in Beaumont, Naumann said.