Florissant Woman Found Hanged at St. Charles County Jail

A 31-year-old Florissant woman was discovered dead in her cell at St. Charles County Jail on Monday, having apparently hanged herself, officials said. 

The woman was arrested in Hazelwood Friday on outstanding warrants from St. Charles County and Lincoln County for writing bad checks of less than $500 in 2006.

She was booked Friday night at St. Charles County Jail and screened for suicidal thoughts, St. Charles County Spokesman John Sonderegger said. 

The woman was on no medications and had no drugs. She was put into a shared cell, he said. Monday night, her cellmate returned from spending time in the day room around 10:30 p.m. and found her dead. 

The woman had apparently wrapped a sheet around her neck and tied it to the railing of the ladder of the bunk bed, Sonderegger said.

"She didn't go very high on the ladder, she just choked herself to death," he said.

The St. Charles County Sheriff's Department is investigating. Larry Crawford, director of the Department of Corrections, will have to submit a report on the death within 30 days, Sonderegger said. 

The Department of Corrections routinely screens inmates for thoughts of suicide and has a suicide-watch cell block for inmates. Those cells have mattresses located on the floor, and paper sheets, Sonderegger said.  

Between 2007 and 2009, there were four suicides at the St. Charles County Jail, Sonderegger said. This is the first apparent suicide since 2009.