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No employees at fault in jail hanging, sheriff says
By Justin Wier
YOUNGSTOWN
Mahoning County Sheriff Jerry Greene said a review determined no employees were at fault for a suicide that occurred at the county jail last Thursday.
William Tryon, 45, of Sebring was found hanged by his bedding in his cell at 5:03 a.m. Dec. 21.
Jail officials administered CPR, and Tryon was taken to St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital, where he died at 10:59 a.m.
Tryon arrived at the jail Dec. 9 after Sebring police arrested him on a charge of rape late Dec. 8.
Police also charged Chrystal Clark, also 45 and of Sebring, with rape at the time.
A news release said the charges resulted from a thorough investigation into an alleged rape that took place at a home in the 100 block of West Texas Avenue in February 2017.
Both Clark and Tryon listed their address as 104 W. Texas Ave. Clark remains in the jail.
On the day of the suicide, a deputy delivered Tryon a meal tray at 4:46 a.m., 17 minutes before he was discovered hanged.
“After we reviewed this situation, it appears deputy staff and medical staff did everything they were required to do,” Greene said.
He added Tryon had been placed on suicide watch for three days when he was booked until he was cleared by medical staff. Medical staff attended to Tryon the night before the suicide for an unrelated issue.
Tryon’s suicide is the first at the jail since 2015, when two occurred. Those suicides were the first at the facility in 12 years.
Greene said deputies continually deal with addiction and mental health issues at the jail, and it is common for deputies to catch or prevent suicide attempts.
“Unfortunately, in some circumstances when a person has his mind made up to do something like this, he’s going to do it, and it makes it hard to prevent,” Greene said.