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49 °F Forecast | Road Cams Wednesday, February 18, 2004 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA Newspaper in Education Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find a Rental Place an ad eSouthernOregon Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar CUSTOMER SERVICE Frequent Questions Advertising Information Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Network Affiliate Email Story to a Friend January 10, 2004 Inmate hangs himself A Medford man facing more than eight years in prison if convicted of child sex abuse charges committed suicide in jail Friday while awaiting trial, the sheriff’s department reported. Charles Robert Shaw, 40, who last listed his address in the 1100 block of Bon Bon Circle, was found dead in his cell at 3 a.m. Friday. Shaw, who had hanged himself with his bed sheet, was last seen alive at 1:58 a.m. when corrections deputies completed their hourly check on inmates, said Capt. Joe Puckett of the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department. Shaw was alone in his cell. Corrections deputies attempted to resuscitate Shaw before medical personnel arrived several minutes later and pronounced him dead, Puckett said. Charged with first-degree sodomy, sex abuse and unlawful sexual penetration, Shaw was awaiting a pre-trial conference scheduled for Monday. His original Wednesday trial date had been postponed. His bail had been set at $1 million. Jail staff had no indication that Shaw was suicidal, Puckett said. Shaw had been counseled by a mental health worker in the jail but did not suffer from a diagnosed mental illness, Puckett said. Had Shaw been identified as a suicide risk, he would have been placed in an isolation cell with quilted clothing and bedding designed to resist shredding, Puckett said. Deputies check on suicidal inmates every 15 minutes. Prior to Shaw’s death, the most recent jail suicide was in October 2002. Paul Ernest Leyva, 39, of Red Bluff, Calif., also hanged himself with a bed sheet within the hour-long lapse between deputies’ rounds. A fugitive from Placer County, Leyva was facing at least 25 years in prison on an assault charge under California’s "three strikes" law. Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2004 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback 3 WEEKS FREE! ADVERTISERS A D V E R T I S E R S RESOURCES Oregon Road Conditions & Cams SPECIAL SECTIONS Auto Finder Job Finder Home Finder Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Tempo Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Since We Asked Food for Thought Wellness Connection Outdoor Journal Moving to Southern Oregon? Volunteer Opportunities Prime Times