Fifty-nine-year-old Arturo Gomez was placed in the La Joya Municipal Jail in La Joya, Texas, on April 17, 2022. Before another four hours had passed, Mr. Gomez was dead. His cause of death is pending results of a toxicology report, and Texas Rangers are conducting an independent investigation.

Methods of Committing Suicide in Jail

Continuing with information from a report by the National Institute of Corrections (NIC), hanging was the method of suicide in 430 of the 464 suicides, which is 92.7% of the time. Other methods of suicide include an overdose, cutting, jumping, and ingesting a foreign object.

Bedding was the instrument used in 66.4% or 308 of the 464 custodial suicides that occurred in U.S. jails during a one-year period between 2005 and 2006. Clothing was used 15.5% of the time and shoelaces 4.1%. Instruments used less than 2% of the time include a belt, towels, knife or razor, drugs, or none. The instrument used was unknown among about 7.3% of the inmates who committed suicide.

The anchoring devices used for hanging were:

• A bed or bunk 29.6% of the time or 127 inmate suicides.
• Bars or the cell door 27% of the time or 116 inmate suicides.

Learn the other anchoring devices used for hanging in this ongoing series, and see more information in Part 1.

Speculating that any individuals or organizations have participated in misdeeds is never an intention on this website. Helping Texas county jail inmates by providing helpful resources is the purpose of each post on this site.

–Guest Contributor