Investigators are saying that the death of an Oklahoma County Jail inmate found hanging in his cell was a suicide.
Jail workers discovered the body of Dale Schmidt, 58, in his cell on Sunday, two days after his arrest on a complaint of lewd acts with a minor. The OSBI reports that Schmidt was the only occupant of the cell at the time of his death.
The man was arrested on March 11 after Oklahoma City police received a call about a child molestation. A 13-year-old boy told police that Schmidt came to his house and said that the boy's father said the teen could come to Schmidt's home for a lesson in tuning a guitar. The boy says he went to Schmidt's house with him, but when he arrived, the older man began to tickle him on his stomach and upper thigh. He reported that the man then made him lie on the bed and said, "Let's see if he's a big boy," as he attempted to pull down the boy's shorts.
The 13-year-old ran from the house and reported the incident. The teen's father said that he never told Schmidt he could teach the boy to tune a guitar or anything else.
When police arrived at Schmidt's home to arrest him, they asked if he knew why they were there. He replied that they were there because he tried "to tickle a boy."
The man's apparent suicide is the second suicide by a sex crime suspect in recent weeks. In late February, a Putnam City North High School teacher's assistant and coach died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound the day after a warrant was issued for his arrest on charges related to an alleged relationship with a 16-year-old student. In that case, police arrived at the home of Leo Edmiral Mackie, 43, looking for a burglary suspect in an unrelated case. When Mackie saw police, he allegedly panicked, running into the house and shooting himself rather than being arrested on second degree rape charges.
There is no question that being accused of a sex crime is one of the most difficult charges a person can face. Often, a sex crime defendant will be considered guilty unless he or she is proven innocent, in direct contrast with the way presumption of innocence is supposed to work. Additionally, the consequences of conviction are severe, in many cases, lasting a lifetime through sex offender registration.
Still, even though a sex crime allegation can lead to a bleak time in someone's life, it is important to remember that there are viable defense options, and taking one's own life should not be considered a reasonable solution. To learn more about sex crime defense in Oklahoma, call (405) 417-4832.
