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Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend October 19, 2005 Inmate had been removed from suicide watch By JONEL ALECCIA Mail Tribune A Jackson County Jail inmate charged with attempted murder used a bedsheet to hang himself early Sunday after being removed from suicide watch by a county mental health evaluator, officials said. Ian Mitchell O’Reilly, 33, of Rogue River, used a bedsheet twisted around a bed frame to choke himself, said Oregon State Police Detective David Beck. An autopsy completed Tuesday showed the cause of death was asphyxiation, Beck said. O’Reilly’s body was found at about 12:45 a.m. Sunday during a routine welfare check. O’Reilly was placed on suicide watch when he was jailed late Friday, officials said. O’Reilly was arrested after he allegedly tried to strangle his former sister-in-law with his hands and a wire garrote. He was taken off suicide watch after a mental health evaluator interviewed him as required by jail protocol, said Dennis McNamara, a county mental health specialist based at the jail. Advertisement The evaluators are the only staff members authorized to remove inmates from suicide watch, McNamara said. He declined to identify the evaluator. "They’re having a rather difficult time and I don’t want to put a spotlight on it,’’ McNamara said. Becky Martin, the county’s mental health director, confirmed the evaluator was a county employee. Jail officials contract with the Jackson County Mental Health Department and Community Works of Medford to provide after-hours mental health evaluations. O’Reilly’s death marks the third suicide in five years at the county jail, McNamara said. In July and September, two other inmates attempted suicide, one by hanging and another by slashing his arm with a blade taken from a jail-issued safety razor. O’Reilly, who had no previous criminal record, faced charges of attempted murder, first-degree kidnap and first- degree assault. Police said O’Reilly hid in bushes outside an east Medford home and then attacked his former sister-in-law, a 26- year-old Medford woman, when she got into her car. Local neighbors witnessed the attack and intervened, tackling O’Reilly and holding him until police arrived. The victim suffered internal throat injuries, abrasions to her face and a chipped tooth. She was released from a local hospital on Monday. Police are continuing to withhold her identity to protect her safety. "This guy’s got relatives and other folks," said Medford Police Lt. Tim George. "This isn’t over by a long shot, for sure." Reach reporter JoNel Aleccia at 776-4465, or e-mail Inmate had been removed from suicide watch ">[email protected] . Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback www.bingo.com Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker dvd-r Distance Education Computer Security Cheap Website Hosting Discount Hotel Reservations Online Pharmacy Myspace Home Equity Loans Windermere Van Vleet Deep Muscle Stimulator Sports Equipment Online Casino Reviews Student Loans High End Computers Online Casino News Online Bingo Entertainment Guide Salvia Divinorum Online Casino Fundraisers Advertisement s